The Bond Between Us
by Ritsu-San
Summary: Post- Chap. 352: Ichigo and Orihime are left to figure out this strange bond they share. With the help of their friends, they'll learn to figure out what this bond means and face whatever is to come as a result. IchiHime. T for language and violence
1. Chapter 1

**Permanent Disclaimer: **This is for the whole series. Bleach, its characters, its plot, EVERYTHING belongs to Kubo Tite and Studio Pierrot. I don't claim to own these, I am merely borrowing the characters and parts of the plot for my own fun. This story in particular is mine. Said story is based off of ideas and a ginormous plot bunny that came about during the Lust Arc in the manga. It grew and grew until it turned into this. Also, the events after Chapter 352 in the manga (save for the revelation of the Vizards' zanpakutou names and powers) do not count in this fic. Even Ulquiorra's death is not the same. Therefore, don't expect me to be incorporating anything pertaining to the plot or characters that occurs after Chapter 352.

This story will have long chapters 90% of the time (by long I mean at least 5-6k words or 12+ pages on a Word document). It will have violence later on, even gore at certain points. It has a crapload of swearing. It will also have some drama and angst and fluff. It has a lot of things. Most of all, this is IchiHime. If that's not your thing, then I might suggest you go because you won't enjoy it much. If it is, and you don't mind any of the other aforementioned warnings, then sit back and enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_The awakened bond and its aftermath_

In Soul Society, deep within the Rukongai, a town and its residents slept peacefully, hidden from sight and unaware of the turmoil that threatened their home. Somewhere in that town, a candy shop stood a little ways apart from the other buildings. It seemed innocent enough, unless they knew what lay beneath it. If they climbed down a hidden trapdoor, they would find themselves in an enormously large training arena built below the shop.

There, on top of a rock, a black cat sat, waiting patiently beside a large, mustached man and two kids, a red-headed boy and a black-haired girl. They seemingly stared off into space, until suddenly, they came to attention.

Seconds later, a rip could be seen in mid-air. It opened up, and initially there was just empty darkness. In the next instant, a man with a green striped hat and a cane appeared. He waved jovially to the onlookers as he hopped out of the giant rip. "Ah, a welcoming committee! As you can see, we have all returned safe and sound. Well," He quickly glanced to the side, whipping out a fan to cover most of his face and thus veiling his features. "I'm not sure on the 'sound' part for everyone, but… ah, we're back, and that's all that matters!"

'We' referred to him and the six friends that were following behind him. They consisted of a couple of worn out shinigami, two humans, a pensive and injured Quincy, and a substitute shinigami in a state of stupor. One of the shinigami, a tiny woman with dark hair and watchful eyes, was the first to exit the rip, stepping out and landing a little ways from where the fan-wielding Urahara was. The woman, Rukia, looked behind her, watching as the other shinigami, her long time best friend Renji, and the one human, Sado, leapt out after her.

"You two okay?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with concern.

Renji nodded to her, although he rolled his shoulder around a little. "Yeah, save where that Yammy guy punched me." He glanced down at his shoulder and began to rub it. "Could have been a worse hit, but hell if it didn't hurt. He could punch, I'll give him that."

"I'm fine" was all Sado said, but being a man of few words, it was all he needed to say.

The Quincy was the next to jump out, although he landed a bit gingerly. He hadn't been as lucky as the others in Hueco Mundo. He was missing half his left arm and had a nasty stab wound in his abdomen, wrapped around with Inoue's cloak to halt the bleeding. Despite his injuries and the pain he was surely in, he didn't seem at all bothered. He turned around, a concerned frown on his face. "Inoue-san, do you need help with him?" he asked the other human, who was supporting the substitute shinigami.

Since they had begun their trek back from Hueco Mundo, Orihime had insisted on supporting Ichigo, who had been injured from his fight with Ulquiorra and mentally a little out of it. "O-oh no! Thank you Ishida-kun, but I'm about to set him down." The muscles in her arms and back straining beneath the weight, Orihime kept the substitute shinigami standing with his left arm draped over her shoulders.

She had refused everyone's offers of help to carry Ichigo, insisting that she would be able to support him just fine. That, and Ichigo's arm didn't seem to be willing to budge off her shoulders any time soon, although Orihime kept mum about that particular detail. After managing to get them both onto the training grounds, she turned to face her injured friend. "Kurosaki-kun, we're back." When he didn't respond, her face contorted into worry. She gently tugged on the arm he had draped over her shoulders, careful not to hit Zangetsu. "Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo lifted up his head and blinked a few times as he gazed around the room. "Ah… we're… Urahara's."

"Yup. We made it, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime chirped. "I'll let you rest, and once I heal Ishida-kun's arm-"

"Ishida? What happened… his arm…?" Ichigo swayed on his feet, and Orihime dug her feet into the ground hard to keep him from tilting over.

Orihime's voice lowered. "Ishida-kun lost his arm to Ulquiorra," she explained. "I need to heal it first." Ichigo's injuries were worrying her, but he wasn't missing any limbs like Ishida was. He had to take priority. Then she wanted to check the others to see if they had any injuries she could heal quickly before attending to Ichigo.

"Ulqui…orra… he… where…" At that point, their other friends had turned towards him, surprise and confusion etched onto their faces.

"You defeated him, when you were-" She remembered the brutal fight, and, worried that Ichigo might react badly to learning about what had happened, she thought, _Better not say anything about that for now. _Orihime cocked her head to the side. "You don't remember, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I doubt he's lost memory of it completely," Urahara said, addressing the group for the first time since he had opened the Garganta to rescue those trapped in Hueco Mundo.

Although surprised at his words, Rukia never took her eyes off of Ichigo as she addressed Urahara. "Why do you think that? He has no recollection of it."

"At the moment. If you haven't noticed, he's a little out of it. I think between his injuries and coming back from that form Inoue-san and Ishida-san told us about, he's dazed. Once he's healed and has some rest, he may be able to recall what happened." The shopkeeper averted his eyes over to Ishida and Orihime. Both of them took notice, but it was Ishida who spoke.

"I'm not going to hold him responsible for attacking me. That wasn't Kurosaki there, not entirely." He looked over at Orihime, and stepped towards her to as she began lowering Ichigo to the ground. "Inoue-san, let-"

"Inoue." Kurosaki gripped her shoulder, and Orihime froze in confusion. Ishida did as well, and the others blinked quizzically at Ichigo. "I…"

Orihime smiled that bright, cheerful one she always used to soothe others' worries. "It's okay Kurosaki-kun. You just lie down and rest, and once Ishida-kun is all healed and the others are okay I'll-" She let out a gasp as Ichigo suddenly pulled her towards him. Her eyes widened as she found herself being hugged tightly against him. One arm was trapped against his chest, the other still clutching his side. "Kurosaki-"

"I'm so glad… you're okay." He breathed the words into her shoulder, squeezing her against him before suddenly going limp and collapsing.

"Ichigo! Inoue!" Rukia yelled, running towards the pair.

Orihime heard some of the others shouting and could see out of the corner of her eye Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu begin to run over. She paid little attention though, too occupied with Ichigo at the moment. She had caught him before he could fall onto the ground, and this time without slamming her head into his.

Rukia reached them first, and helped her settle Ichigo onto the floor. "That idiot, falling down on you like that," she muttered under her breath, but Orihime could see the concern in her eyes.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun was a lot more tired than I thought. He-" She paused, staring at his unconscious form. _He must have been very worried. He wore himself out so much when he went into that form, and fighting Ulquiorra like that. _Instead of voicing her thoughts, though, Orihime just shook her head, and smiled. "At least he can rest now," she murmured, continuing to smile gently down at him before she looked up. "Okay, Ishida-kun! You're first!" Orihime said brightly, smiling at Ishida.

Ishida smiled back as he walked over towards her, and as he knelt down a few feet away from Kurosaki, Orihime silently called out Ayame and Shun-ou. They zoomed around Ishida and formed the Soten Kesshun. Ishida immediately sighed in relief and for the first time in hours let himself relax.

As they began the rejection process, Orihime decided on which injuries to heal first. She started with his arm, and as fragments of it began to return, part of Orihime's mind went on auto-pilot as she continued treating his injuries. The rest of her mind began to wander a little, and she thought back over the events that happened after she arrived on top of the dome.

She remembered the horror she felt when she saw Ichigo dangling from Ulquiorra's tail, and when she realized what Ulquiorra planned to do as he coldly told her to watch him die. The way she panicked when she couldn't heal Ichigo, and when Ishida fell and Ichigo was all but seemingly dead, and how she screamed for him… How her heart skipped a beat when he glanced down at her, after that transformation. He hadn't been looking directly at her, but in a way, she could tell he was looking at her with those eyes she couldn't see. Even when Ulquiorra was trying to speak to him, Orihime felt like he was looking at her. If she could see his eyes, she wondered, what would they be trying to tell her?

She remembered when that bloody, vicious battle began. How she had questioned whether it was Ichigo or not who was fighting Ulquiorra. It was his body, his powers, but it wasn't entirely _him. _It was hard to believe that the kind, compassionate, and protective Ichigo she knew was the one ruthlessly ripping Ulquiorra's limbs off. All of his actions made it seem like it wasn't him at all, but something inside told her otherwise. Even when he tried to carve up Ulquiorra, and after he attacked and tried to kill Ishida, something told her inside it was Ichigo. It had to be, because only Ichigo would have been muttering that he would help her. Underneath that mask and that form, her Kurosaki-kun was there, trying to help her, even though his actions were so vicious and Hollow-like.

The guilt rushed back, nearly making her cringe as she remembered how terrible she felt, how much she wanted to hate herself for being a burden again and causing Ichigo trouble. She had wanted to protect him and the others, she wanted to help. That misfired Cero from Ichigo ended up giving her that chance.

"Inoue?"

Orihime's head snapped up, nearly colliding with Rukia's in the process. "Oh! Kuchiki-san! I'm so sorry I-"

"It's all right." Rukia smiled, although a little fazed by the collision course with Orihime's head she barely avoided. "Ishida's healed now, if you want to move onto Ichigo."

Orihime looked over, and saw Ishida's arm was back and the wound in his stomach was gone. She dispersed the Soten Kesshun, and the two "fairies" promptly retreated into her hairpin. "Are you guys sure you don't need to be healed?" She asked, glancing between her friends. She scanned them over for any glaringly obvious injuries that needed attention right away.

"Inoue-dono!" Tessai had made it over to them, and beckoned to Ururu and Jinta to bring over the healing supplies. Yoruichi had gone over towards Urahara, who was busy trying to close the Garganta. "I can easily heal these lighter and more superficial wounds the others have received. Please heal Kurosaki-dono until the worst of his wounds are gone, and then rest!"

"Oh, um, all right," she replied hesitantly. While Tessai set out with a first aid kit to heal the others, she called out Shun-ou and Ayame again, this time forming the Soten Kesshun over Ichigo. She glanced over his body, taking note of the few serious wounds he had and his all but destroyed shinigami robes. She still couldn't believe how tattered and ripped his robes were. She didn't know how they had gotten that bad, although Ulquiorra was obviously the culprit. Her cheeks became flushed when she realized she had been thinking about his tattered clothes too much, and was staring at his chest for too long. It certainly wasn't _bad_ to look at. On the contrary, for a sixteen year old, Ichigo had nice – okay, he had _amazing_ – abs and muscles. Transfixed and unable to help herself, Orihime kept staring, her flush reddening gradually.

"You have to admit, for such a young kid, he's pretty good looking without a shirt." Orihime nearly jumped in surprise, Yoruichi's voice having caught her off guard. She was sitting next to Orihime, still in her cat form.

_When did she get here? _Orihime wondered, blinking a few times in surprise. "W – W - Well, I wanted to m-make sure he didn't have any-"

Yoruichi scoffed at her. "Don't be so embarrassed to admit it. Heck, if I was younger and I didn't know Kurosaki the way I do, I'd definitely tap that."

Orihime could feel her face burn from the flush. She snapped her head away from Yoruichi, and fixated her gaze on a rock. She heard someone snort; probably Urahara, and then she heard a sudden burst of laughter. She tore her gaze away from the rock and over to her right. She saw Renji rolling on the floor, his face as red as hers from laughter.

Rukia's expression was a cross between amused and horrified. Her chest shook a little, as if she was laughing, but her mouth was agape. "I… that's just-"

"Disturbing" Chad finished for Rukia, his eyes wide.

"My my, Yoruichi-san." Urahara shifted his eyes over to her. "I had no idea you still entertained those kinds of notions," he teased, hiding his obvious smile behind his fan.

Yoruichi hissed at Urahara. "I'm not _that_ old, Kisuke." Huffing, she turned her head away from him, acting offended as she licked her paw. "Let me remind you that we are the same age and I know _you _still entertain those 'kinds of notions'. If you think I don't know about the magazines you borrow from Riza, think again."

"I'd really rather not think about Urahara reading porn."

Orihime glanced down and saw Ichigo's eyes were open. "I didn't realize you were awake, Kurosaki-kun! How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

His eyes met hers. "I'm okay. I feel a little off, but I'm all right." He paused, and his expression turned into a worried frown. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine! Not hurt at all!" She waved her arms a little, not wanting him to fret over her.

He nodded. "Good, I would never have forgiven my-" His voice trailed, and his eyes widened. "What happened to Ishida?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Kurosaki." Ishida said from behind Orihime. He stood up, and glanced down at Kurosaki over Orihime's shoulder. "Inoue-san already healed me."

Kurosaki's brow furrowed. "Why do I get the feeling you were badly hurt? I…I can't remember." He smacked his hand to his forehead, as if trying to beat the memory out of his brain. "All I remember is getting that hole blown into my chest, and then I heard Inoue scream. That's - that can't be it." He closed his eyes, and for a moment said nothing as he concentrated.

Orihime watched him, though occasionally glanced at Ishida and Yoruichi. She and the Quincy exchanged nervous frowns. She wondered how to tell Ichigo what happened, and she was sure Ishida was worried about the same thing.

Yoruichi, now serious, tapped a paw lightly on the outside of the Soten Kesshun to get Ichigo's attention. "You may be able to remember more after some adequate rest. All of you are exhausted, and there's no telling what's going to happen." She shook her head before Ichigo could open his mouth to speak. "No, rest. The captains are handling the situation in the human world. Don't worry about them either. The captains that were with you in Hueco Mundo will be helping them out once they're healed. But even if they all get into trouble, they have back-up."

The six friends stared at Yoruichi in confusion, and then looked at each other. "Um, back-up?" Orihime asked.

Ichigo suddenly sat up. His earlier confusion was replaced with surprise. "You mean-"

Urahara smiled triumphantly as he finally sealed up the Garganta before looking at the group. "Yes, Shinji-san and the others will be waiting if the Gotei 13 gets overwhelmed," he explained.

Rukia frowned in confusion. "Who are they anyway?" she asked.

"Well, Inoue-san I think has figured it out." Urahara smirked at the knowing look on Orihime's face. "Kurosaki-san certainly knows as well, but perhaps I should fill the rest of you in." He gestured with his fan to the four clueless ones. "I'll tell you all about them, and Inoue-san can fix patching up Kurosaki-san in the meantime. Besides, you'll probably meet them soon."

Resigned, and apparently accepting Urahara was right, Rukia, Renji, Chad, and Uryuu walked over to him. As Urahara began explaining who the Vizards were, Yoruichi addressed the two remaining teenagers. "Inoue, keep healing him but remember not to overdo it. I can already sense your reiatsu weakening. Ichigo, rest. Don't worry about the town or the captains. The Vizards are more than capable of handling things. If you'll excuse me," Yoruichi got up on all four paws, "we'll be having visitors soon."

Without further explanation, she turned around and bounded off for the ladder. Orihime and Ichigo watched as she left, bewildered as to what she meant by "visitors."

"Everyone clear?" Urahara's voice rang out over the room as he finished his explanation. Those who had been listening to his lecture of sorts nodded.

Renji glanced back at Ichigo, a concentrated frown on his face. His eyes narrowed, although not in suspicion, but rather curiosity. "So, it's like what Kuchiki-taichou told us. Ichigo and these Vizards have an inner Hollow that's a part of their powers and connected to their zanpakutou. It's dangerous, but it beefs them up, right?" He turned back to Urahara.

The shopkeeper beamed. "Exactly! Although, I'm a tad surprised Kuchiki-taichou told you about that. It was in regards to his fight with Kurosaki-san, no?"

This had Ichigo sitting up in alarm. "He told you about that?" His eyes widened, and he looked ready to faint and lunge for someone's throat at the same time.

Rukia shook her head. "He wasn't doing it to be malicious. He only told us about it as a warning. He was afraid it might happen again, so he wanted somebody on the Karakura team to be prepared." Rukia's gaze lowered to the ground, her violet eyes sad. "I know you and Nii-sama aren't on the best of terms, but he would never be that underhanded. He didn't tell soutaichou, you know."

Ichigo seemed to hesitate, and his brow twitched as he chewed over Rukia's words. When he kept silent, Urahara said, "He could have gotten you into a lot of trouble about it, Kurosaki-san." He pointed a sharp look at Ichigo, accentuated by the shadow covering his face from his hat.

The substitute shinigami scowled, and crossed his arms. He didn't seem willing to swallow his pride, but to everyone's surprise, gave in after a few moments. "Fine," He sighed. "But I did go to the Vizards when the Hollow got out of hand, didn't I?" Looking away from the rest of the group, he turned one brown eye at Urahara. "Even though I get the feeling they resent me or something."

"Why would they resent you?" Orihime asked. Her initial impression of the group was like one big, dysfunctional family that beat each other up but also watched everyone's backs. It baffled her that they would deliberately leave Ichigo out, unless they had yet to accept him.

Urahara sighed, and slowly walked over towards Ichigo and Orihime, his clogs quietly clapping on the dirt ground. He kneeled in front of the two, but trained his eyes on Ichigo as he began to explain. "Understand something: they have been together for a hundred years. Just the eight of them. The three of us," He motioned to himself and Tessai. Yoruichi was obviously the third one, but she was still absent at the moment. "have kept in contact with them, but they've been on their own for the most part. Then you came along. Now," He raised his hand, stopping Ichigo's protest. "I know you didn't ask for this, and to be honest, they need to do some attitude adjusting as well.

"It's still a shock to them, though. A hundred years of just them, and a new kid comes along, copping an attitude which, admit it, you did, and being uncooperative." He smirked in amusement when Ichigo scowled and turned away, annoyed by his words. "That, and I don't think they understand why you hesitate to use your mask. It's been a long time since they've been your age and in your position. Give them a chance, and they may be more willing to give you one."

Ichigo nodded tentatively, and, in yet another surprising moment, didn't raise hell about the remarks about his attitude. He blinked in surprise when the Soten Kesshun dispersed. He looked down at himself, relieved to find his injuries healed and his shihakusho intact. "Thanks, Inoue. I really trashed these."

Orihime nodded. "You got pretty beat up. I'm not sure what got them in that shape. I mean, obviously the fight but-"

"Cero Oscura. I think that's what did most of the damage." He winced slightly at the memory, recalling how much that Cero _hurt. Damn Ulquiorra. Speaking of…_ He glanced between Orihime, Urahara, and then across the room at Ishida. "So, I have to remember on my own what happened? But I can never remember what happens when my Hollow takes over."

The former twelfth division captain beckoned for Tessai. He was there in a flash, and Urahara murmured something in his ear. Tessai nodded, and, taking Jinta and Ururu with him, made for the ladder. "I suppose you have a point. You want to know what happened? You'll have to ask Inoue-san and Ishida-san. I only got a very brief account of what happened." A speculative glance was cast at Inoue. "Which one of you wants to tell him?"

Before Ishida could volunteer, Orihime beat him to the punch and nodded. "I will. It's okay, Ishida-kun," she assured her friend, smiling as she met his gaze. Hers was calm, although a little sad, while his was confused and slightly panicked, "although if I forget something, let me know. I almost wish…" Her voice trailed off as she cautiously peered at Ichigo, "I didn't have to tell you about this, but at the same time, I think you should know. So, I guess the best place to start is when we got up to the dome."

* * *

As Orihime recounted the details of one fight that nearly ended in disaster, a similar scene was about to unfold in the human world. The captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13 who had met Aizen's forces above the fake Karakura Town were losing. Ukitake had long since come to Hitsugaya's aid, but even he was having difficulty against the fierce Halibel. Soi Fon and Oomaeda were having an extremely hard time against Barragan. Even Kyouraku was struggling against Starrk's power.

It wasn't looking good. Komamura was nearly ready to join the fray, and Kira was still trying to heal the four vice-captains who had suffered Allon's wrath. On top of that, the four stranded captains from Hueco Mundo, although no longer trapped, still hadn't arrived.

As for Yamamoto, it seemed he, too, would have to try and help out. His hand was on Ryuujin Jakka, and he made a move towards Soi Fon's fight when, out of the blue, a large blast emanated from where Aizen and his cohorts were.

It surprised everyone, including the Espada. Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as Aizen, Gin, and Tousen stepped out of the now-dissipated fire fortress. Aizen was wearing his usual smirk as he proceeded forward, tailed by the other two former captains.

"I'm not sure if I'm surprised or not," Ukitake murmured.

Hitsugaya, bruised and bloody, frowned from his spot next to Ukitake. "I was wondering if that would really hold him in there. This is going to make things even worse, though."

Yamamoto, saying nothing, took a step forward, beginning to unsheathe his zanpakutou. Aizen was silent as well as he motioned to Gin. With his ever sly smile, the former third division captain pulled out Shinsou and called out its command.

Hitsugaya lunged towards Shinsou's path and could see from the corner of his eye Soi-Fon attempting to do the same. However, both were blocked by Halibel and Barragan, respectively. Hitsugaya cursed as his sword met hers. While he was trying to fight off Halibel, Ukitake took the opportunity to try and get to the commander-general.

Despite Shinsou's speed, Yamamoto deflected it easily, and continued to do so as the elongated blade kept coming at him again and again. As Shinsou made another turn at Yamamoto, the elder captain suddenly pressed Ryuujin against the blade. "Burn all of creation, Ryuujin Jakka!" With a great burst of fire, Ryuujin was in its shikai. The blade, burning brightly in a sheath of flame, shot fire out, and the flames traveled down along Shinsou's blade. It was fast, and Ichimaru barely had time to drop his zanpakutou before the fire reached the sword grip. Yamamoto stepped back, preparing for another attack when suddenly, Aizen appeared behind him.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, and he only had time to yell "Soutaichou!" before the attack commenced.

"Hadou #90, Kurohitsugi."

In a flash, Yamamoto was encased in the same black coffin like structure Komamura had been subjected to months earlier on the execution hill. As the kidou spell did its work, Yamamoto collapsed, his body torn up and covered in blood.

Aizen stepped around from behind Yamamoto, shaking his head. "Even you were fooled by the hypnosis powers of Kyoka Suigetsu." He indicated with his hand the fake him that was still standing with Gin and Tousen. "I suppose I could make some long-winded speech exulting your demise," He smirked, and pointed a fingertip at Yamamoto, "but in homage to your brevity, I'll be brief: good-bye, Yamamoto-soutaichou, and good-bye to your institution that is the Gotei 13." He began to charge a kidou spell.

Every captain leapt at Aizen, but four of them were barred by Espada. The other was too far away to be able to make it in time.

"Hadou-"

Aizen may have been a superior fighter, and a quick one, but even he didn't see the Cero that was blasted at him. He barely had time to get out of the way as the Cero rocketed towards him, narrowly dodging the large explosion that followed. When the dust cleared, Aizen looked at where Yamamoto had been, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Sensing new reiatsu, he glanced over towards the buildings, and for a brief second, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of all eight Vizards.

Kensei pushed back his Hollow mask and glanced over at Shinji. The former fifth division captain was crouching in front of the badly injured commander-general, whom he had saved from Aizen while Kensei fired the Cero. For a moment, Shinji was focused on something in his hand. He quickly pocketed it and turned to Kensei. "That was a wicked shot, Kensei," Shinji commented, grinning slightly at him.

Ukitake and Kyouraku stared in surprise. "S - Shinji?" Ukitake shook his head in disbelief. "You're all alive!"

Shinji grinned. "What, ya think we imploded or somethin'? We've been alive and kicking the entire time." He glanced around him and shook his head. "Looks like the captains Urahara bailed outta Hueco Mundo still haven't gotten here." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Slackers."

Kyouraku raised a brow. "He got them out of there?" he asked, although his eyes were on Riza, his vice-captain whom he hadn't seen in a century.

She nodded. "Two of them from what we heard are beat up, but they're free at least. Shinji," She glanced over at him, "what now?"

He smirked. "It's obvious, ain't it? But, first things first. Hachi," he began, looking up at the large kidou expert, "can you take care of Yama-jii and make sure the God-wannabe over there," He motioned towards Aizen, who stood some feet away, unscathed but looking _very_ unhappy, "and everyone else don't get to 'im?"

"Yes. I'll put up a barrier and see what I can do about these wounds." Hachi stepped forward, kneeling by Yamamoto. The others quickly got out of his way and with a clap of his hands, a boxed barrier was around him and Yamamoto.

Hitsugaya eyed the Vizards warily as they stepped forward. "Who are you?" he asked.

Hiyori glared at Hitsugaya and took a threatening step towards him. "What do you mean 'who are you?' We came here, saving your soutaichou's ass and- oomph!"

Shinji clamped a hand over her mouth, laughing nervously. "Don't mind her." He shot a warning look at Hiyori before he let go of her mouth. "As for who we are, well, you'll see, eh?" He glanced over at his shoulders, "Now, as for everyone else," Shinji unsheathed his zanpakutou, "pick an opponent and help take 'em down."

* * *

By the time Orihime had gotten to the part about the battle on the dome where Ichigo's Cero was misfired, Rukia and Renji were looking contemplative, while Ichigo was absolutely horrified.

Orihime stopped to take a breath. When she was about to continue, she caught the worried glance the vice-captain and his best friend exchanged. "What's wrong, Abarai-san and Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia snapped her gaze away from Renji and aimed it hesitantly at Orihime. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then finally decided to speak again. "The description of that Hollow form you gave us, it doesn't match the one Nii-sama provided. You see, the one that fought Nii-sama talked, for one thing." Rukia placed her hand over her right eye. "It had a Hollow mask too, but only here, over this part of the face. Its eyes were black and yellow, and the outfit was the same as Ichigo's."

Renji nodded, and carried on from where Rukia left off. "Taichou said the abilities were enhanced, and he had a hell of a time trying to keep up, but nothing about Ceros being fired." Renji winced. "We're not dealing with the same thing here."

Urahara looked puzzled, his chin resting on his hand. "No, definitely not. This wasn't the typical event of the inner Hollow taking over. The form that appeared on the dome was something else entirely. It seems more like the Hollow…" Urahara didn't finish his sentence. He suddenly was too busy looking at Ichigo. "Kurosaki-san?"

That Ichigo had been horrified and disgusted with what happened was expected. The others also expected him not to be able to remember what happened for some time. However, the sudden realization on his face proved otherwise. "I remember."

Urahara nodded. "Tell us what happened."

Ichigo closed his eyes, and let his mind drift back as he verbally recalled what he had experienced.

* * *

It had felt like he was a spectator in his own body. Watching but unable to do anything. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening. His shinigami powers and his Hollow powers were at their peak and acting together, all at once, though his Hollow powers were doing most of the work. His Hollow was on a rampage, attacking anyone that dared to interfere, anyone except Orihime. Everything he was doing, all his thoughts and actions had been riveted on the sole purpose of getting rid of everything that could be deemed as a threat to her safety.

"_Help… Help you. I will help you." _It wasn't just him or his Hollow saying it. It was both of them; it was their combined instinct, some primal part of them that was saying it.

After Ichigo had misfired the Cero, Ulquiorra had been sent flying back. Whatever base impulse it was, it spurred Ichigo to take action and kill the dratted Espada. He summoned Tensa Zangetsu once again, ignoring Ishida's sound of protest as he went to charge at his opponent.

Orihime stopped him. One of her small, delicate hands was gripping the one holding his sword, and another was sprawled across his chest, pushing back on him. "Kurosaki-kun, stop."

The conflicting wants and desires inside of him and all the raging emotions stopped in that moment when that kind voice spoke to him. He remembered turning around and seeing Orihime, a scared yet determined look on her face. Everything inside him went calm.

"I'm sorry," she spoke as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'm sorry you went into this form to help me. I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun. Please, the fight's over. Stop before someone else gets hurt, and so you don't have to keep doing this to yourself." Her head bowed as her eyes squeezed shut.

"Stop. I'll stop."

She looked up at him in surprise, and even the conscious part of Ichigo had been surprised too. The part of him that was driving this form hadn't listened to a word he had said. Orihime seemed to be in control. Tensa Zangetsu fell from his hand. Clutching Orihime's hand gently in his, he guided their hands to his mask. He gripped it. Orihime blinked, and then nodded in understanding. "All right. One... two… three!"

It took a lot of strength from both of them, but finally the mask ripped off. As the mask broke, he collapsed. He heard Orihime calling out for him in worry. For a few seconds he couldn't move, speak, or do anything. In his mind, he was hung in a limbo, unable to recede into his subconscious or gain control.

It was all just a big blur from there. There were intervals where he was able to do something, but it was difficult, and he felt like he was moving in a fog, until he eventually passed out.

* * *

"Then I woke up here, hearing Yoruichi saying something about Riza's magazines." He ignored Urahara as he hid his face behind his fan, feigning innocence. He felt more inclined to watch for Orihime's reaction. "Does that sound right to you?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's what happened." Like before on the dome, her head lowered, and her eyes were cast downward. "Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry. I just… I screamed because I was desperate and-"

Not knowing what else to do, Ichigo placed his hand over Orihime's, which were clasped tightly on her lap. "Inoue. _You _didn't do this _to _me, _I _did it _for _you." He smiled, hoping it was encouraging. "When you were trying to heal me, you were calling out to me, weren't you?" When she didn't say anything, he continued, still wearing a smile. "I remember you kept saying my name, and asking 'what should I do?' You had so much faith in me, even though I didn't deserve it, and you've saved me so many times I - I had to protect you. I wanted to, and so did my Hollow, I think. I know we both reacted to you and…" He trailed off, and suddenly frowned when Orihime's expression became something akin to horror. "What?"

She mumbled something incoherent. Before anyone could ask, she shook her head, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Kurosaki-kun, I," She looked back at him, "I never said that _out loud_. I kept _thinking _'Kurosaki-kun' and I kept _thinking_, 'what should I do?' I never actually said it."

A stunned silence fell over the group. Eyes went wide and a few mouths dropped as everyone wore a similar blank expression.

Renji opened his mouth, and pointed a shaking finger at Ichigo. "You… Inoue… minds? _What_?"

Ishida tried to regain his composure, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Despite his attempts, his bewildered eyes showed what he really felt. He glanced over at Urahara and raised an eyebrow in question.

The man in his sights shook his head. "I've never heard of that happening before. It's got me quite curious but, for the time being, also quite stumped."

A clamor of voices disrupted them, coming from the direction of the ladder. Urahara sighed, putting his fan away. "We are most definitely going to be coming back to this. I believe Shinji-san and the other Vizards would be _very _interested in hearing this story. For now, we have some guests to entertain."

Before anyone could ask, the trapdoor opened, and scrambling down the ladder was Tatsuki, followed by Mizuiro and Keigo.

Orihime's head spun around, and her eyes widened in surprise. "T-Tatsuki-chan?"

Still climbing down the ladder, Tatsuki turned her head in Orihime's direction. "Orihime! Are you all right?" she called out to her friend.

Orihime nodded shakily as Tatsuki jumped down the rest of the way and began running over to the group. Tatsuki covered the distance in seconds, and was quickly kneeling in front of Orihime, her chest heaving slightly as she tried to catch her breath. "Tatsuki-chan, why are you-"

"That guy," Tatsuki pointed to Urahara, "told us everything. We followed Ichigo here last night, and we saw them go into that Gre-gar… that big rip. Clogs-san there spotted us. I didn't - I wanted to know where you were and what was going on, so he told us everything that's happened." Tatsuki lifted her head, and Orihime was shocked to find tears brimming in her best friend's eyes. "I was scared sick when I found out you had been kidnapped by these Hollow people, and I couldn't even go after you."

By then, Mizuiro and Keigo caught up to them, trailed by Yoruichi. "Everyone all right? Mizuiro asked.

Ichigo, who had been as surprised as Orihime had been about the trio's arrival, nodded at Mizuiro. "Yeah. We got a little beat up, but we're all right."

Keigo waved his arms around. "I can't believe you guys have these _powers _and can go around, beating up these bad guys and rescuing Inoue-san and-" Keigo pouted, crossing his arms. "I'm jealous!"

Ishida shook his head. "It's nothing to be jealous of. We might have them, but you wouldn't believe the responsibility that comes with it and the injuries we've sustained as a result." When Keigo just raised an eyebrow, Ishida sighed. "Do you really want to know, or you just don't believe me?" He crossed his arms and tilted his head back slightly. "Let me recollect. I had my left arm chopped off and my stomach blown out. I've also been stabbed in the stomach and been knocked around numerous times. Kurosaki has been stabbed and slashed countless times, along with taking a high-energy Cero and having a hole blown in his chest. I can only-"

Renji placed a hand on Ishida's shoulder. "I think he gets it. He's turning a little green."

Keigo certainly was. His eyes were widened, and his face went from pale to green in just seconds. He looked away and nodded. "Okay, maybe not."

Tatsuki looked mortified, glancing uneasily at Ichigo. "How are you still alive then? I don't see a hole."

Ichigo squeezed Orihime's hands, which he was still holding. "Rejection. Inoue has the ability to reject events, like wounds received. The reason a lot of us aren't crippled or dead is because of her."

Tatsuki grinned proudly while ruffling Orihime's hair. "You gotta show me these powers sometime." She scooted closer to Orihime. "So, who wants to tell me what happened in this Hooie Mondo place?"

Orihime blinked twice, and then laughed. "Oh! Do you mean Hueco Mundo?" she asked.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. The place you were taken to." She gestured with her hands. "Come on, I wanna know how they got you outta there and see what we're all up against."

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders. "Powerful Hollows that have no qualms about ripping you to shreds. But in the end, we took down… uh, how many of them?"

"Six Espada," Rukia said, "between us and the captains that helped. Plus various Privaron Espada and Arrancar, from what I heard."

Mizuiro tilted his head. "That's a big chunk out of this Aizen guy's army, right?"

"Quite. And it was tiring to do so." Urahara stood up, and gestured at the six who had come from Hueco Mundo with his fan. "They need their rest. You three," He then pointed to the newly arrived humans, "are more than welcome to stay and chat, but I ask that all of you get some rest soon. There's another battle going on in the human world right now, and I need an update on that as well. Have a good night everyone, and yes," He nodded at Renji and Rukia, "I will let you know in the morning what happened."

Urahara walked away with Yoruichi, leaving the nine friends alone in the training grounds. Mizuiro and Keigo joined the others on the floor, and conversation started back up. For another hour or so, the three humans asked numerous questions, ranging from things about Soul Society and the Gotei 13 to the powers the others wielded. The six fighters had a few questions as well, but decided to wait until morning to ask.

Eventually, they all tired out, especially the ones who had returned from Hueco Mundo. They all climbed up the ladder, and they found futons and blankets waiting for them in one of the shop's spare rooms.

Orihime felt like she was dragging her feet as she walked towards a futon. She all but dropped to her knees and crawled beneath the covers. She pried off her sandals and tossed them aside before pulling the covers over her. Her head hit the pillow, and was tempted to just pass out as she plucked out her hairpins and set them aside.

She saw a pair of sandaled feet at the futon next to hers, and her face reddened when she discovered it was Ichigo. He yanked off his sandals before laying Zangetsu on the other side of his bed. He crawled under the blanket and turned until he was facing Orihime. He smiled gently at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Pretty tired, too. Oh, um, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah?" She saw his eyes start to drift shut.

Her eyes were getting heavy as well and she struggled to stay awake. "Thank you. For rescuing me. I wanted to protect everyone, but all of you came for me anyway. Thank you so much."

Ichigo stifled a yawn and nodded sleepily. "Wasn't gonna leave you there. You're…"

Orihime was asleep before she could hear what he was going to say, much to her later chagrin.

* * *

Late that night, as the young schoolmates and shinigami slept, Urahara walked outside and squinted slightly in the darkness. He was a few streets away from his shop, sitting on a park bench as he waited. Yoruichi, now in her human form, waited with him as well. A few minutes passed. Then the former second squad captain suddenly tapped Urahara's arm when she spotted movement. "Down there." She nodded at an alleyway.

Urahara pushed his hat back a little, and smirked as eight people walked towards them. "Welcome back!" he greeted cheerily, waving to them. "I hope it went well?"

Under a streetlamp, the Vizards appeared from the dark. Their clothes were ripped and bandages covered them, but they were alive. Shinji grinned and twirled his zanpakutou in his hand. "Quite well."

Yoruichi and Urahara nodded, but it was she who spoke first. "So, how many were taken down?"

Hiyori glanced up at Shinji. Strangely, she wasn't trying to wipe the grin off his face like she normally would. In fact, she seemed a little smug too. Shinji looked up at Urahara and said, "All of them."

Yoruichi stepped back in surprise, and even Urahara looked shocked. "As in, everyone? Aizen included?"

"Well," Shinji looked up at the dark sky innocently, "Ichimaru and Tousen got away, but they'll be caught shortly, I imagine. But yes, Aizen is dead." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a dark, spherical object. "Got this off his corpse."

Urahara was silent as he stepped forward and reached out his hand. Shinji dropped the Hougyoku into his hand, and for the first time in many years, Urahara felt fully and immensely relieved. "It's over, then."

The head Vizard nodded. "Can't believe it either, to be honest. Feelin' a little smug, but I'm mainly just shocked. Not sure how we did it." He scratched his head, tilting his hat over in the process. "Just kinda happened." He shook his head. "No point in gloatin'. How's Ichigo and the rest of the suicide squad who went into Hueco Mundo?"

It was Urahara's turn to look a little smug, although for an entirely different reason, as his fan once again was whipped out and open in front of his face as he pocketed the Hougyoku. "Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that. Something interesting happened."

* * *

"INOUE!" Ichigo sat up suddenly in his futon, his hand reaching for Zangetsu. His body was tense, ready to strike, and his eyes were wide and wild as he scanned the room. When he realized there was nothing around worth being alarmed over, he sighed. "Just a nightmare."

However, his shout had woken up Orihime. She was sitting up and staring at him worriedly. "Kurosaki-kun?" she whispered.

Ichigo glanced at her and immediately felt guilty for waking her up. His eyes softened, and his body relaxed. "Sorry, Inoue. Bad dream. You should get some sleep."

She merely shook her head and moved a little closer to Ichigo. "I will then. What happened?" she asked, her brown eyes slightly wide as she regarded him.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before his mouth closed in a firm line. His eyes locked onto the floor, and he seemed unwilling to answer her. He could sense her eyes on him, patient and unwavering. It didn't take long for his resolve to crack and for him to look her in the eyes, brown to brown. "It was about you."

Orihime nodded, putting a finger to her lips in thought. "Did something bad happen?"

"Sort of." He glanced away uneasily. "I mean, yeah, I think." His messy hair was ruffled even more as he ran a hand through it in frustration. "It was just odd. There were these people around you that kept changing faces, going from Aizen to Ulquiorra to Grimmjow, and they just kept switching. They were leading you away, and you - you looked so sad, but just went with them, saying 'This is my place, even if I never see you again'. It was just," He shook his head, and then let it rest in his hands, "horrible."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Her soft voice was comforting. Ichigo forced himself to relax. It had been just a dream, nothing more. He couldn't shake off the sick feeling that settled into his stomach, however. _I'm just on edge because of her kidnapping. We need to make sure Aizen isn't going to come back for her. _"I know. Still paranoid, I guess." Unfortunately, the vivid images of the nightmare and the paranoia were keeping him up, and he was wide awake. "You should get some sleep. I'll try to rest again once I'm settled down."

Instead of listening, Orihime pushed herself closer to Ichigo, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. "I'll stay up with you. Besides-"

A loud snore ripped across the room, and Ichigo scowled comically as he looked for the source. "Keigo…" he muttered under his breath.

Orihime giggled quietly into her hand, glancing over her shoulder at Keigo, who was sprawled over his futon. "Looks like we'll both be up for a bit. I don't mind, though." Her smile was as kind as her tone as she gazed back at Ichigo.

He half-smiled in return and sat with her, enveloped in companionable silence, which was only broken on occasion by Keigo's snoring.

* * *

Urahara was pacing back and forth in the street, a hand to his chin. "Obviously they have some kind of bond, but I can't figure out what it is or why it's there or…" He paused, and raised an eyebrow at Shinji. "Are you listening?"

"Sorry. You lost me at the part where he read her mind." Shinji's expression was blank. It was matched by the faces around him. Hiyori's mouth had dropped, Hachi was flabbergasted, and the others wore looks ranging from surprise to outright shock. "Okay, Kisuke, I'll be blunt here: _what the fuck_?"

Urahara shrugged. "I'm just as gob smacked as you are. But, he swore he heard her and she swore she only thought it. She got into trouble and called out for him; he heard her, so did his Hollow, and thus the new form came about." He leaned his weight against his cane and glanced casually at Shinji. "It has something to do with his Hollow, obviously, but even the Hollow was… affected by this."

Rose scratched his head. "We've dealt with inner Hollows for a century now. They're swayed by our moods, our wants, our desires, and our feelings. They're a dark side of each person, but they're still a part of that person. If the Hollow is being affected by Inoue-san, then obviously she affects Ichigo's entire being. Of course," He shrugged elegantly, "how and why she does is a mystery."

Hiyori sighed in annoyance. "I guess we gotta deal with those two and figure it out, right?"

"Aw, why do we have to do it?" Mashiro whined.

Kensei made a sound that could only be described as a growl. "Shut up, Mashiro. Because it has something to do with his inner Hollow and it could cause a problem."

"And a human's connected to it." Shinji wiped a hand over his face. "This is weird, but we'll talk to them about it. I wanna see this form of his and try and get a feel for what's happening."

Urahara nodded. "In the morning. They're all at the shop, resting. Let's walk and talk back to the shop." He motioned to the others, and all ten of them began strolling down the road. "There's a lot of work ahead, and we need to start as soon as possible."


	2. Chapter 2

Enormous, heartfelt thanks to everyone who reviewed on here and at the forums. Those original reviews kept me going and compelled me to continue this. Without further ado, here's the second installment of The Bond Between Us.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_There's nothing Tsubaki can't fix_

The Vizards, the six who returned from Hueco Mundo and their school friends, along with the usual residents of Urahara's Shouten were all crammed into one of the rooms the following morning. Despite the close quarters, no one seemed to mind; everyone was too busy listening intently to Shinji's recount of the events that took place in the human world. After breaking the news of Aizen's death, Shinji ducked to avoid the mixed spray of saliva, spew, and tea that blew from Renji's mouth. He sat back up when Renji began coughing, and rolled his eyes. "Make sure to spit your food next time. No fun if it's all liquid," Shinji remarked dryly.

Renji glared at him, although he was too busy coughing and hacking to say anything. Chad thumped him on the back a few times to help. Rukia rolled her eyes and let Chad help Renji as she turned to face Shinji. "Saliva aside, Aizen is truly dead?"

Urahara pulled out the Hougyoku, and everyone in the room went silent. He was quiet as well, his true expression hidden beneath the shadow of his hat. "I dare say he is. I doubt Shinji-san would have gotten this off of him if he wasn't. Inoue-san," the shopkeeper said, "do you think you can reject this? I really have no other ideas as to how to destroy it."

Orihime nodded confidently, her hands clasped tightly around her tea cup. "Yes, I think so. I don't know how long it will take, but I'll do what I can."

Hiyori snorted. "Good luck," she muttered.

"Oi." Ichigo scowled heavily at her. "Don't underestimate Inoue. You haven't even seen her powers."

Because an argument was imminent, Love yanked Hiyori back just as she slammed her hands on the table. "No one doubts her, but we haven't been able to destroy the Hougyoku for one hundred years. It's a little hard for us to imagine someone who can by now," he explained.

Tatsuki, who was sitting next to Orihime and Rukia, glanced at the healer uneasily. "You sure? I'm not an expert, but destroying something like that might be really dangerous."

"Which is why we're going to take every precaution," Urahara said. "Inoue-san will start later on. Right now, the Vizards want to discuss something with her and Kurosaki-san." He rose from his seat, and beckoned for the others. "In private. The rest of you can help me begin to set up."

As everyone but the Vizards, Ichigo, and Orihime rose, Keigo looked at Chad. "What's he talking about?"

Sado shrugged.

When they glanced at Yoruichi, hoping for an answer, she smiled innocently. "Guess you'll have to find out," she teased as she headed out of the room.

"Everyone's so secretive," Keigo complained, shuffling after Yoruichi.

"Get used to it," Renji muttered as he, Ishida, Sado, and Mizuiro walked out.

The room was down to twelve occupants. Rukia and Tatsuki stalled at the door, both looking worried and unwilling to leave their friends alone.

Seeing them hesitate, Orihime smiled. "It's okay." She set her tea cup down. "We'll be down later!"

Tatsuki nodded, and glared in warning at Shinji before exiting the room with Rukia. The tiny shinigami hadn't said anything either, but she did trade knowing looks with Ichigo before ducking out.

He didn't let the silence stand long. "I guess Urahara-san told you what happened," he said as he directed his gaze back at Shinji.

"You could say that," he retorted. He leaned back against the wall behind him, stretching a bit before relaxing. "I have to admit, I'm really impressed." A lipless grin emerged. "We never heard of something like that happening. Hearing the mental pleas of a friend," He had his own ideas about that, but didn't voice them, "and then rising up to save her. How heroic of you," he added with an amused chuckle.

Ichigo's face turned several different shades of red and white before Orihime laid her fingers on his shoulder. The moment they made contact, Ichigo seemed to relax, and his face returned to a normal color. "Kurosaki-kun's done a lot of heroic stuff. I just don't think you've realized it."

Not able to resist further egging, and intrigued at how quickly Ichigo calmed from Orihime's touch, Shinji continued, "But not so dramatically, and using your Hollow to do it as well. Embracing your own dark side to help the damsel in distress. It's-"

"-ridiculously theatrical," Riza butted in, using her foot to shove Shinji over as she took charge. "Although it's amazing what you did, Ichigo, it's also a little alarming. Urahara told us everything, including what was discussed between you guys. We don't know what exactly happened, and until we do, you're a risk."

"Hardly."

Riza blinked and glanced up at Hachi. "What?"

He smiled gently as he unfolded his hands. "The entity, for a lack of better term, that came forth when Inoue-san was in trouble was, indeed, quite dangerous. However it was because _she was in danger _that it came out at all_. _She's perfectly safe right now." A large hand was waved at Orihime, indicating her obvious state of safety. "Granted, we do not know for sure, but I think it is okay to say that form will only appear if she is in trouble and all of Ichigo's reserves have been exhausted."

Kensei sighed. "Gotta go with Hachi on this. Yeah, he's a bit of a walking hazard, but he's only a danger when others are in trouble, especially that girl. It's not like when an inner Hollow's trying to take over, when you don't know when it'll gain control or what it'll do." He shrugged. "I think we need to do some training with these two and get a better idea of what the hell's happening, but he's not a time bomb."

Ichigo nodded, mouthing "thank you" to Kensei and Hachi. "I'll train. At least, as long as Inoue is up for it as well." His eyes met hers. "We don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable with it. Kensei's right; this isn't like when my Hollow was trying to take over. It's not as urgent."

She silently sipped her tea cup, her eyes never leaving his as she set the cup down, still grasping it. After a few seconds, her eyes hardened slightly in determination. "I want to. I've wanted to work with Hachi-san for awhile with my Shun Shun Rikka, but I also want to know what happened. I want to be able to help you control this, so you don't have to rely on a monster just because I get into trouble."

Ichigo's face fell at Orihime's bowed head. Her grip on the cup tightened, and he quickly clasped his hand over hers to keep her from breaking it. "Inoue, I chose to go into that form. Maybe it was subconscious, but I chose it of my own free will. I was afraid to even use my mask before, but I had no trouble turning into a 'monster' if it kept you safe," he insisted. "I promised to protect you and I will, no matter what."

He failed to protect the first person he promised. He had been too young, though, and slowly he was beginning to accept that there was nothing he could have done to save his mother. Orihime, on the other hand, was far different. He had the power to keep her from harm, and he would go to whatever extent necessary to see to it. Ichigo just wished she would understand that.

She shook her head. "It's not worth it," she mumbled as she stared down at the table.

His eyes narrowed. If any other person said that, he would have gotten visibly upset. He was angry, but he never could fly off the handle and lose his temper at Orihime. However, she was going to know the extent of his feelings. "Of course it is," he said, his tone hard but quiet. "I'm sorry, Inoue. You might not like me doing it, and I thank you for caring so much, but I'm going to anyway."

She gasped softly. He wasn't sure if it was because she was shocked at his tone, surprised at his brash behavior, or bewildered at the heat in his eyes. What he did know was that he suddenly had the overwhelming urge to apologize and comfort her. He passed it off as not wanting to scare her again. He felt guilty, but showed nothing of it as he simply said, "I'm gonna do it if I have to, and I'm going to do a better job of keeping you safe from now on."

"Okay, Knight-in-shining-shihakusho-san," Shinji was sitting back up when Ichigo faced him, "how do you plan on doing that?"

A part of him was grateful Shinji distracted him from his train of thought. He wasn't sure what to make of these foreign emotions that were suddenly cropping up. "Simple." Ichigo crossed his arms. "On top of the training and mastering this form, I'll keep a better eye on Inoue. I'll ask the others for help. I'm sure Chad and Ishida are gonna be more vigilant too, after what happened." He grimaced slightly. _I'm sounding like a stalker or something, _he thought. "Er, we're not gonna spy on you or haunt your every step, Inoue, but… you know." Words were never his strong point, and his eyes pleaded for her to understand.

She pulled through. "I know." She giggled a bit, offering a warm smile. "But with Aizen gone, is it necessary?" she asked.

"I'd just go along with his paranoia for now, Inoue-san," Rose advised. He was smiling in amusement. "It'll make things easier, and Ichimaru and Tousen are still on the run, so it's not entirely over yet. Just the worst of it."

Ichigo scowled at Rose. "Who are you calling paranoid? I'm being cautious."

Hiyori rolled her eyes. "You're way past that, baldy. You might as well set up your own damn security station to watch over her!"

"Don't give him ideas," Shinji muttered under his breath. "Look, let's just take this one step at a time," he said. "We can start the training in a few weeks, when Ichigo and Orihime-chan are settled back into their lives and caught up on schoolwork. We put you a month behind," He aimed his slitted eyes at the young Vizard. "I know Orihime-chan's way behind too. Education's important and all that jazz." He waved his hand impatiently. "Besides, you should try and get settled back into a more normal life. We're not gonna train you like we did before. We can work at it a couple hours a few days after school and on the weekends." His eyes darted to the side. "Not to mention that with the war's aftermath, things might be a little hectic and you'll need something to keep you sane."

"I wonder," Her voice trailed off, and Orihime put a finger to her lips.

She looked agitated, and it was bugging Ichigo. He had that urge to comfort her again, and he had to forcibly pry his hand away and keep it still. "Wonder what?" he asked.

She looked at him shyly. "We've been gone for awhile. I don't think even Ochi-sensei is going to let it slide. What are we going to tell her?"

Suddenly, a small rumble shook the shop. The source of the shake seemed to have come from below, since Ichigo couldn't sense anything amiss on the ground level.

Kensei nodded at the trapdoor. "Ask them. All the captains, or at least the ones still standing, are coming. That was the senkaimon, no doubt." He shrugged as he stood up with everyone else. "That's what Urahara was setting up."

"Why would the captains know what they should tell their sensei?" Mashiro asked.

Kensei opened his mouth to snap at her, but then shut it. Ichigo could only guess it was because he either decided it really wasn't that stupid of a question, or he just didn't feel like yelling at her. "They might be able to do some memory adjustment or make something up. Hell, these kids helped out with the damn war. You think the least the Gotei 13 could do is give them a note for school."

* * *

Nine captains were assembled in Urahara's training ground when Ichigo and the others from upstairs climbed down the ladder. They all stood in various positions and spots in the room, spread out from the senkaimon gate that was slowly closing behind them. Most of them were relatively beat up, covered with bandages and scars, but at least they were alive and standing.

There was one captain that was conspicuously absent. Orihime's heart skipped a beat when she noticed the general-commander was missing.

Urahara was quietly speaking with Kyouraku when the ten from above arrived. "Aha! We're all gathered at last. Come 'round, everyone. We have a lot to discuss, it seems," he said, shifting a sly glance at the captains before waving for the others.

The Vizards lazily strolled over to them, but when they stopped, Orihime noticed they kept a slight distance from the captains and shinigami. They stayed near Tessai and Yoruichi instead. _There's tension here. I wonder what happened._

Ichigo suddenly stiffened, distracting Orihime from her thoughts. She looked up at him, and saw his scowl was more pronounced than normal. He also shifted his stance closer to hers, very similar to the one he took when he was about to physically protect her from something. "Kurosaki-kun?"

He glanced over at her. "Yeah?" His tone was light, but she could tell it was a farce. Something was seriously bothering him.

As they walked towards the captains, she tilted her head. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice low.

It was barely noticeable, the hesitance in his steps, but she noticed and she knew her question must have surprised him. She clasped her hands together behind her back, and waited until he answered. "Inoue," He paused. "no matter what they might say, you are not-"

"A traitor in our eyes," Hitsugaya finished, shifting his bandaged right arm as he stepped towards them.

Orihime blinked in surprise, not realizing the small captain had approached them.

"That was something we wanted to talk to you about. Inoue isn't actually seen as a traitor, Kurosaki. Soutaichou just said that to keep you guys in the human world before we commenced the last battle."

Orihime blanched, and she could see Ichigo clench his fist. She told herself she shouldn't be surprised. She did just leave out of the blue; Soul Society had every right to misconstrue what happen and think she switched sides.

Kyouraku tipped his hat at Orihime. "We're very sorry about that. I personally didn't like the idea, but it was the only chance we had at trying to keep your friends put. It failed, although ironically, their running off to rescue you was better than our original plan." He shrugged casually. "Who would have thought?"

Kyouraku's apology and explanation, while Orihime understood and accepted it, was not appeasing Ichigo. He took an aggressive step forward. "You expected us to believe Inoue would actually turn on us? That we would really just sit here and accept it because you said so?"

His reiatsu was rising dangerously. Some shouted warnings were made by Renji, Rukia, and some of the others. Tatsuki, however, only nodded along. What little reiatsu she had flared as well. "He's right. That's just a load of crap!"

Defensive stances were being taken all over the room. Some of the captains were cautiously eyeing Ichigo. In turn, the Vizards were watching the captains' every move, and hands strayed near sword hilts. Desperate to prevent a fight from breaking out, Orihime looked around, and caught Shinji's eye. He pointed at her. Then he lifted his hand and waved it.

_My hand? _She lifted it up, and he nodded. Then he pointed at Ichigo, and then pointed at his shoulder.

_My hand plus Kurosaki-kun's shoulder… oh! _She quickly clapped her hand on Ichigo's shoulder and squeezed gently, hoping to calm him down. "It's okay, really!" she pleaded, pulling him back. "I don't blame them. Please, don't be angry at them." His muscles quivered under her hand, and he felt like he was ready to explode. She knew his temper was about to, and she hoped her words would make him pause and think. "I'm not offended," she said.

Her eyes widened as Ichigo looked at her over his shoulder. Their gazes locked. For some unfathomable reason, she suddenly felt calm. Protected. _Safe. _It was confusing, since she didn't feel like she was in danger. But she couldn't help but smile at him. The situation was getting ugly, Ichigo was ready to lose his temper, a fight seemed imminent, and she was _smiling. _She couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with her. She couldn't shake off the feeling though. She couldn't displace the warmth that seemed to spread through her body, like she was being held close to someone.

Her heartbeat suddenly quickened when something passed through Ichigo's eyes. It was odd, but she felt like she should have known what it was. It seemed familiar, and while a little eerie, it was still comforting. Whether it was because she wanted to see that strange emotion again, or if she was simply stuck in the intensity that bore down into her, she couldn't stop staring into Ichigo's eyes. At least until they suddenly softened.

His reiatsu level dropped down to normal as Ichigo backed down. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and stepped back until he was right next to her again.

She sighed in relief. The warmth and the comfort from before were gone, but she felt sane again. "Thank you, and thank you, Tatsuki-chan." She smiled at her best friend, who also had been ready to defend her. "But the way I left, it was suspicious. Actually," She looked over at the captains, "if I may, can I talk to Yamamoto-soutaichou? I'd like to clear this up," she said, gleefully jumping to another topic.

But while doing so, she missed the puzzled look Shinji and Urahara exchanged.

"You can issue an official statement to clear your name, if you insist, but you won't be able to talk to him directly," Soi Fon answered. "No one's going to for awhile."

"The soutaichou took a level 90 kidou spell," Unohana explained. "He was saved from death by Shinji-san and Kensei-san, but not before sustaining extreme injuries. Unfortunately, his head bore the brunt of them. He's comatose, and he may remain that way for awhile." She sighed, gently fingering her braid. "Which is something else we wanted to discuss. Until Yamamoto-soutaichou is awake and able to take command again, Kyouraku-taichou and I will be in charge." She cast her gaze at Orihime. "If you want to make that statement, feel free to do so with me or Kyouraku-taichou at any time."

"Thank you." Orihime bowed. In truth, she was slightly relieved that she didn't have to explain what happened in front of Yamamoto. Kyouraku was friendly, and while Unohana had a commanding demeanor about her, she could also sense gentleness and understanding in her.

"Is there anything else?" Ishida asked the captains. "With all due respect," Orihime thought she heard a hint of sarcasm in his voice. With Ishida, it wouldn't be a surprise. "but I don't see why all the remaining captains would show up just to tell us this."

Ukitake smiled, and glanced at Kyouraku before speaking. "Of course not. We all wanted to come here in person to thank everyone." He gestured to the Karakura residents and the Vizards. "This war disrupted your lives, and you helped out regardless. We met you as ryoka trying to save an innocent shinigami from an undeserved death, and helped us uncover Aizen's ambitions. Then you were flung into the fighting, and helped our team while they were here.

"Against orders, you then proceeded to rescue a kidnapped friend and halved Aizen's forces. You may have missed the final battle in the human world, but we would have faced more adversaries if you hadn't gone in there." He chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Quite frankly, we probably would have lost if you hadn't gone there."

Taking a breath, Ukitake then chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at Shinji. "Then the eight of you showed up and pretty much saved all of us and won the battle, and ultimately the war." He glanced around him, and received a few nods. "For that, we thank all of you."

To everyone's immense shock, all of the captains bowed to them. Renji and Rukia did as well. The Urahara Shouten gang stared in blank shock, while the Vizards shifted uneasily, looking quite flabbergasted. The Karakura crew looked at each other, shrugged, and bowed back.

When the captains straightened, Ukitake beamed. "But that's not all. Some of us insisted we couldn't just leave it at just 'thanks'. So, we have a little reward for everyone."

Kensei must have muttered some sarcastic remark under his breath, Orihime assumed, because Riza suddenly backhanded him.

If Ukitake saw it, he said nothing about it. "For our former captains and vice-captains who had to abruptly leave Soul Society, we lifted the ban that was placed on any of you. All charges, accusations, and whatnot have been withdrawn as well. Consider yourselves welcome at any time in Soul Society."

The Vizards nodded, although Urahara seemed at a loss for words as he tipped his hat over his eyes, and nodded as well.

Ichigo whipped his head around towards the Vizards, and his expression was questioning. Orihime looked at them confusedly as well. Shinji just shook his head, and mouthed, "Later".

"For the former ryoka, you'll be placed under our protection, along with the town. Aizen might be gone, but Tousen and Ichimaru are on the loose, and the town still attracts a lot of Hollows." The senior captain scratched his head. "We really didn't know what else to do, unless there's something we can help out with."

Remembering her concern from earlier, Orihime spoke. "Kurosaki-kun and I were talking about school before we came down." She glanced at him before continuing. "The four of us missed a lot of school because of training and other things. We were wondering if maybe you can help with that at all?"

Hitsugaya smirked and nodded at Orihime. "Yes, I thought about that earlier. Don't worry about what that Ochi-sensei might say. I've got it covered."

"You…do?" Ichigo asked.

"Let's just say it's advantageous that woman will believe almost anything."

Urahara snorted from the other side of the gathering. "Now, with that problem solved, I think we should deal with another." He dug into his pocket. "One I think everyone here would like to see handled in person." He drew out the Hougyoku, and nodded to Orihime. "I wanted to wait until I had a better idea of how to go about this and until the captains arrived. Are you ready?"

"Yes. But I don't think I should do it with everyone so close," she said as she summoned Ayame and Shun-ou.

"Definitely not. I was wondering though, if Hachi-san could put up a barrier?" He glanced over at the large Vizard.

Hachi nodded. "That would be best. Everyone, please stand back. I'd like to give Inoue-san some room to do this." As everyone took a few steps back, Hachi motioned with his hands, and four barriers came crashing down, forming a box around Urahara and Orihime.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw the barrier had been placed between him and Orihime. "Inoue!" He pounded on the barrier wall. "Hachi, let me-"

"I can do this." Orihime smiled to Ichigo. "Let me. I'll be all right."

He always seemed to be warring with himself, Orihime thought. At least when it came to her. She could read the emotions on his face as easily as an open book, and he was torn. She felt guilty putting him in that position. "I'll be fine. I have the Santen Kesshun."

He nodded hesitantly, stepping back from the barrier. He still looked agitated, but he seemed willing to let her go through with it.

She turned to Urahara and nodded. "If you set it down on the ground, I can start."

The shopkeeper slowly set the orb down, letting it roll off his hand and onto the dirt ground. He paused, staring down at it for a few moments before jerking his head away.

Ayame and Shun-ou zipped over to the orb and surrounded it with Soten Kesshun. Orihime concentrated as she walked over to it. She wasn't sure how exactly to reject it or at least how to reject it totally out of existence. The Soten Kesshun worked on rejecting something into its original form. Could she consider nothingness to be an original form? She could only try. For five minutes she focused, trying to reject it away. Every time she tried, it kept reforming. The Soten Kesshun's true ability was working against her. She panted and tried harder, but to no avail.

"Are you all right?" Urahara asked quietly.

Orihime shook her head, dispelling the shield. "It won't reject. Every time I try to erase it, the Soten Kesshun just reforms it." _Maybe I'm using the wrong one, _she thought as she touched her hairpin."Tsubaki."

Her hairpin glowed, and Tsubaki emerged as a bright golden streak as he flew out of her pin. He hovered in front of her, scowling and arms crossed. "Now you're finally calling me out."

She chuckled nervously. "Sorry Tsubaki-kun. But um, do you think you can reject this?" She pointed to the Hougyoku. "Ayame and Shun-ou can't seem to, and you're the only one who has the ability to actually," She paused and winced, "destroy something.

He flew down to the orb and examined it closely. The entire room was silent as he poked and looked at it, frowning quizzically. Suddenly, he nodded and hurried back up to Orihime. "Woman, if you want me to reject this thing, you're going to have to put all of your willpower into this. I'm not kidding this time either!" He waved his arms in emphasis. "You need to pretty much think of everything you ever wanted, bring up all of your emotions, and just focus. Got it?"

"You bet." Orihime picked up the Hougyoku and lightly tossed it to Urahara. He caught it, a look of mild surprise on his face. "Can you throw that as high as you can?"

He nodded and bent down. His arm swung down, and with everything he had, flung it up high.

"Tsubaki!" Orihime closed her eyes. She brought forth all of the turmoil, the heartache, the sadness and even anger she had felt throughout the past several months. She remembered saying good-bye to Ichigo that night she left for Hueco Mundo. She remembered how worried she was for her friends when they came to rescue her. Everything that happened in Hueco Mundo, from her arrival to Ichigo collapsing in her arms on top of the dome, flashed through her mind.

"Koten Zanshun…" She willed the Hougyoku's destruction as much as she willed for her friends to be safe, to see Tatsuki become the best martial artist in the world, for the happiness of everyone she loved, and for Ichigo to be able to one day smile and be at peace with himself and what he had done. They were all things she wanted the most in the world, and she knew the only way this would work is if she placed the Hougyoku's destruction up there with them. "I reject!"

With a little battle cry, Tsubaki raced up towards the Hougyoku that was beginning its descent. Orihime directed all of her power and emotions into him. He flew up like a bright comet on a collision course with another cosmic body. The dark Hougyoku contrasted to the yellow, fiery glow of Tsubaki. They met, and the fairy jammed the shield through.

For a pause in time, the orb hung in midair, a large slice through its middle. Then it split in two, and enormous jets of light and darkness shot out. The room shook violently as the explosion blinded everyone temporarily. As soon as it had started, it was over. All that was left were millions of little particles that fell from above. They sparkled gently as they floated down, and dissolved as soon as they hit the ground.

Cheering broke out from all sides. Hachi removed the barriers and looked over at Orihime. She met his gaze and smiled. He smiled back, and even winked at her.

Her nakama gathered around her, patting her on the back and telling her she did a good job. Tsubaki flew back to her, and Orihime beamed. He gave her the thumbs up before returning to her hairpin.

Urahara was on his knees, looking up at the falling particles as Yoruichi walked over to him. "It's finally over, Kisuke," she murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder as she touched one of the particles.

He nodded. "I dare say it is. And what a feeling."

"Oi, Hiyori," Ichigo called out. "What did you think?"

The tiny Vizard grumbled, and Shinji grinned. "She's in such awe, she's speechless," he said.

"It's finally gone," Hitsugaya murmured, inspecting one of the little particles. "All I can say is good job Inoue-san, and good riddance to it."

Kenpachi grinned. "At least it went out with a bang."

"I would have loved to have studied it," Kurotsuchi sighed despondently. "I guess I'll just have to ask Urahara what its composition was."

"And I will never tell you."

Mayuri spluttered in anger. Urahara just ignored him and leaned his head back. His hat fell off, but he didn't care. He just started laughing, truly laughing for what felt like the first time in a long while.

* * *

Shinji leaned against the wall of the warehouse later that night. He was thinking over the events of the day, from the discussion with Ichigo and Orihime to the apology and pardon issued by the captains, to the whole celebration and conversations that followed. It was nice, chatting with old friends and not feeling like a complete renegade. He didn't know how sincere their offer was, although he didn't necessarily want to go back into the Soul Society.

No, he would never live there again, but he knew he would have to return at some point.

He was fingering something in his jacket when Urahara stepped around the corner. Shinji pulled his hand out and waved casually to him as his old friend approached. "Quite the day we had."

The shopkeeper chuckled. "Yes it was. We all get pardoned and are back in their good graces again." He smirked. "Lucky us."

"Lucky or not, it might be helpful. It's nice to not have to always look over my shoulder anymore, and they have a lot of resources."

Urahara stood next to Shinji, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, they do," he answered cautiously.

Shinji grinned. "I'm not talkin' weapons or manpower or anything. I'm talkin' literature and information. They have extensive records. If they're allowing us back in there, some of the others," He jerked his head back at the warehouse, "might head back in there and do a bit o' research."

"Research?" Urahara shouldered his cane. "About Kurosaki and Inoue?"

He nodded. "We wonder if this is the first time something like this has ever happened. I told you what happened in the dining room earlier, and you noticed what happened in the training arena. He acts completely different around her. Normally, I'd just say it's any teenage boy bein' infatuated, but Ichigo's takin' it to another level. I mean, what his reiatsu did was…"

Urahara shook his head slowly. "I know. It was the strangest thing. Inoue-san seemed a little off when it happened. Like she was dazed. I couldn't see his face, although I'm sure he had no idea what he was doing."

"It's Ichigo. Of course he didn't. But I do wonder if their friends noticed." Shinji tilted his head to the side. "I wanna talk to the four of them at some point. They'll be back at school tomorrow. I remember the captains sayin' somethin' about keepin' a team down here again for a little while, so I imagine Abarai and Kuchiki will be there as well."

Urahara raised a brow. "Then I assume you're attending Karakura High again?"

Shinji rolled his eyes. The thought didn't thrill him, but at least he wouldn't be bored out of his skull like before. "Yeah. While the others research stuff in Soul Society, I'll be doin' my own here. I'm goin' to be watching those two closely. I'm givin' them a few weeks before we start training. That'll give me time to watch and draw some conclusions."

His companion nodded, taking out his fan and hiding his expression behind it. "It's amazing how similar and yet how different Kurosaki is."

"Whaddya mean?"

He unshouldered his cane. "Something happened in Hueco Mundo. I don't mean what happened on the dome. That was just the end result." He tapped his head. "In here. In perhaps both Kurosaki and Inoue. At the very least, something changed in Kurosaki when Inoue was kidnapped." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he contemplated. "It may be a case of not knowing what you have until you lose it, but I wonder. Perhaps that can be what I look into. There are a lot of layers to this, and we need to look into them all if we want to fully understand."

Shinji sighed, and banged his head lightly against the wall. "Understandin' the dynamics of a relationship, one that contends with abnormal experiences and an inner Hollow: that's shrink work." He smirked. "And I was afraid we were gonna be bored after the war was over. Silly me."

Urahara could only grin.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to my beta-reader, **PerennialLurker **who had looked over the original version of this chapter. More thanks and love to those who had reviewed and gave feedback; it was invaluable. Hopefully if you've made it to this point you're enjoying the story so far. It's rather slow at this point, although things will start picking up soon.

Read and enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Back to the daily grind, with a twist_

Ichigo was disoriented and confused when he first woke up. He glanced at his surroundings, his muscles tightened and ready to spring into action in this seemingly foreign environment. Then he saw them: his desk, his closet, and all his things.

He was home in his room.

_That's right, I came home last night. _He sat up, and rubbed his hand over his face. The shinigami had taken down the pillars in the human world, and the real Karakura Town returned the night before. Rukia and Renji stayed behind in Soul Society, promising they would see him the next day at school.

The transition from there to the human world had been weird, Ichigo remembered. Not only the process itself, but seeing the town for the first time since the war ended. The shinigami had done serious memory alterations on the people, and as he walked home that night, Ichigo could tell the residents remembered nothing of going to sleep or waking up. They were oblivious to the war that had threatened to destroy their very homes.

He sighed in agitation. Being in a human body again was also a little strange, although not quite as unfamiliar. His body's last inhabitant still sat in his pill form in Ichigo's closet, which was how he would remain until Ichigo felt like popping him into his plushie body. He had refused him details of what had happened, and instead just went to bed and crashed for the rest of the night. He was still exhausted, but he knew he needed to go to school and catch up on work. He and the others missed a lot, and he knew Shinji was right. _I need to go back to a normal- _

The attack came two seconds after he heard the footsteps.

Luckily, those seconds were enough. He braced himself and caught Isshin's foot as his father did a flying kick into the room, yelling, "Good morning Ichigoooooooo!"

The force of the kick slammed Ichigo into the wall, but he still had his hold. He gritted his teeth, and forced Isshin's foot up, and quickly delivered a kick right above his father's groin. Isshin "oomphed" as the kick sent him flying out the door.

"Damn it, Dad!" Ichigo glowered at his father. "Can't I have _one _peaceful wakeup call?"

Isshin pouted from his contortionist-like position on the floor, his arms and legs bent and twisted at odd angles from his landing. "But where's the fun in that? Besides, like any good father, I must keep you on your toes and prepared for anything!" He quickly righted himself.

Ichigo muttered under his breath, walking past his father and grabbing a towel out of the closet before going into the bathroom. _We can't be from the same gene pool, I swear, _he thought bitterly as he slammed the bathroom door behind him. He flung his towel onto the towel rack. He could hear his father sobbing pitifully from the hallway but ignored it. _Nothing ever changes around here._

Once upon a time, he wished things were different around his home. That he had a sane father, that he didn't have such a fretting sister, or that his life wasn't always the same. Now, he couldn't be happier that things were like he left them.

He took off his clothes, letting them pool onto the floor as he stepped into the shower. _Normal isn't such a bad thing anymore. Funny what a war does to you, _he thought as he turned on the shower.

He came downstairs twenty minutes later, freshly showered and dressed for school. He greeted his sisters and sat down as Yuzu handed him a plate piled with food. "Thank you, Yuzu."

She beamed. "You'll need to eat well today! It's a big day for Onii-chan. You have a lot of work ahead, right?"

"You could say that," Ichigo answered, only vaguely alluding to the real work he had ahead of him, work Yuzu was, and if he had any say would remain unaware of along with the rest of his family. "I'll be home right after school, barring any emergencies."

He knew his disappearing act had scared his family, especially Yuzu and Karin. The utterly relieved look on Yuzu's face reminded him of that and how much the war had disrupted his life. "I'll see you when you get home then. Oh, your lunch is on the counter, along with your books."

"You gonna be okay?" Karin asked as Ichigo bit into his breakfast. "You did miss a lot."

Ichigo nodded. "I'll be fine, and I can ask my friends for help if I have to."

Isshin appeared out of nowhere, beaming like the idiot he pretended to be. "Don't worry, Ichigo! Daddy can help you with your homework and spend quality time-"

His suggestion was met with Ichigo's fist. The doctor was on his back, holding his nose as he wailed.

"Shut up," Ichigo muttered darkly. He took a few more bites of his food, and pushed it aside. "I'm gonna get going early. I'll see you guys later." He got up, and quickly scooped his lunch and books off the counter before hurrying out the door.

* * *

He had completely forgotten about Hitsugaya's promised excuse. His mind was far more occupied with the impending catch-up work he had. He only remembered Hitsugaya when he approached Ishida and Chad outside of school and overheard them talking about the captain. "Oi, you guys."

They turned around. Chad nodded to him, and Ishida pushed his glasses back. "Have you talked to Hitsugaya?" Ichigo asked.

"No, we haven't even seen him," Ishida said. "I can detect his reiatsu inside, however. Along with Kuchiki-san, Abarai, Shinji-"

"-And Inoue's." Ichigo looked up at the high school that loomed just before them. "I guess they're waiting for us."

Ishida raised his brow. "And here I thought you were hopeless at sensing reiatsu."

_Prick, _Ichigo thought with a suppressed glare_. _"I'm just not good at it. Inoue's is easy to feel." Orihime's reiatsu always stuck out to him. Despite how soft and gentle it was he could easily pick up on it.

"I always found hers a little challenging, actually." Ishida shifted the weight of his books in his arm.

"Then maybe you're the hopeless one," Ichigo countered.

Before the Quincy could retaliate, Sado gestured to them. "I can see Keigo and Mizuiro waving at us. I think they want us to hurry."

Ishida nodded and trained his gaze towards Ichigo. Ichigo met his stare, and suddenly he didn't like the smug, knowing look he had. "Or perhaps you're just hopeless in an entirely different way." Ishida quickly walked ahead before Ichigo could ask what he meant.

The substitute shinigami glared at his retreating back before looking at Sado. "That coward. Did you know what he meant?"

Blinking innocently, he shrugged. "Not really."

"Whatever then. Probably just trying to act smart," Ichigo reasoned as he walked towards his impatient friends waiting for them on the steps.

They caught up with Mizuiro and Keigo, and their greetings had been brief. Keigo didn't even try to enthusiastically greet (in other words, try to tackle) Ichigo. All of them were anxious to get to their classroom.

Once they got inside and made their way through the school, they approached their classroom. They peered cautiously inside. To their surprise, Hitsugaya was not the only one standing in front of Ochi's desk. Renji was talking to her, Hitsugaya by his side, as he pointed to a small pile of papers set on the desk. Tatsuki, Rukia, Shinji, and Orihime were sitting at their desks, conversing in low voices.

Before they could greet the new arrivals, Ochi smirked. "Ah, you're all here now. Come here." She motioned for all those who had been absent to stand before her desk. Nervous glances and expectant stares were traded amongst the friends. They converged as one group at their teacher's desk. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro waited at their seats, as nervous as those up at the front of the room.

She paged through the documents, squinting slightly through her glasses as she nodded a few times to herself. After seven suspenseful minutes, she looked up at Hitsugaya. "So, this is all entirely true?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. I apologize about having to keep you in the dark about it, but it was top secret. Direct orders from the government. I had to obtain permission to reveal this to you, and only because we were concerned that those involved would be penalized for their missed schoolwork."

Ochi nodded, peering at the others. "So, secret government helpers, eh?" She kept her voice low. "Is this the end of it?"

_Government agents? That's his excuse? It's… sort of true, _Ichigo realized, and he nearly laughed. Hitsugaya was trying to tell Ochi-sensei the truth without really giving it away. They _had_ been working for a type of government or authority, and their work was a secret. He had to give the tiny captain credit: he was clever.

"Hopefully," Hitsugaya answered, his voice serious and quiet, "but there are no guarantees. The worst is over, but something could come up at any time. I can't reveal much more to you, but all we ask is that you give those here who missed a lot of work time to catch up on it and not penalize them."

"Of course." Ochi shuffled the papers and handed them back to Hitsugaya. "I should have all the work and assignments they missed written up tomorrow. Today, you guys will just have to try and get a feel for what we're doing."

They nodded. "Thank you, Ochi-sensei," they murmured as they left to take their seats.

A scuffle broke out suddenly in the hall. Those in the classroom turned their heads towards the doors, listening as they heard muted shouts and yells. As Ochi-sensei hurried out to break it up, Shinji shook his head and glanced over at Hitsugaya. "Government helpers?"

The young captain gave him a deadpan look "I basically told her the government had an operation going on that required the assistance of adolescents because they fit the descriptions we needed to infiltrate a group. We picked them after various connections and background checks, etcetera."

Rukia raised a brow. "Those documents looked really official."

"Yes. With the ninth squad's resources in handling the magazine, plus Kurotsuchi-taichou's help and Kuchiki-taichou's calligraphy skills, we were able to make those elaborate looking papers." He sighed. "It was an effort, but it was the least we can do."

Sado nodded. "We appreciate it. What if sensei decides to check up on it, though?"

Renji shifted in his seat and glanced at Hitsugaya. "Memory alteration?"

He nodded. "It never fails, at least."

* * *

When the rest of the class filed in, things went on as if they had never left, once the initial shock of the missing students' return passed, at least. Their classmates made no effort to hide their surprised stares. Most of them said nothing to them about it, although one or two of Sado's friends did ask him if everything was all right.

A familiar girl walked in looking rather morose as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. She glanced around and her eyes widened when they fell on Orihime. "Orihime-chan?" It was no surprise Chizuru had noticed her crush's long absence, or that she was shocked to see her after so long.

Orihime smiled cheerfully. "Hey, Chizuru-chan!"

Chizuru tossed her books on her desk and immediately went for Orihime. Tatsuki began to get up, but when Chizuru reached Orihime, instead of making a grab for her breasts, she tightly hugged her. "I was so worried about you!" To everyone's surprise, she emitted a muffled sob into Orihime's shoulder.

Orihime wrapped her arms around Chizuru and smiled comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, Chizuru-chan. A lot happened."

Her sexually unabashed friend leaned back and attempted to smile as she wiped back a tear. "But you're okay?"

She nodded. "Yup! We're all okay."

"Good." Chizuru straightened. "It's been so hard without my Orihime-chan around!" She sighed longingly as she leaned into Orihime. "How about today, we go to my house and make up for all that lost time?" she said, her voice low and seductive.

That's where Tatsuki drew the line. With a well-aimed kick, she sent Chizuru skidding over the floor. "There will be no making up for lost time! Damn pervert!" Tatsuki crossed her arms, sending her a death glare.

"Your timing's impeccable," Chizuru said from the floor.

"Your boldness is extraordinary," Shinji murmured, making sure Chizuru didn't hear him as she stood back up. He always found her to be an interesting but at times frightening character. He had nearly been subject to her wrath, had it not been for Ichigo interfering and hauling him away before she could do her worst.

He glanced over at Ichigo, and raised his brow when he saw Ichigo's fist clenched around a pencil, his reiatsu slightly darkened. _Is he… jealous? _he thought, _or mad at Chizuru's little suggestion? _

This insight opened up a potential opportunity for Shinji's study of the two bonded friends. Jealousy, while petty, was the perfect tool to test how strongly someone felt about another.

_Who would have thought the psycho lesbian would be useful? _

Chortling quietly to himself, Shinji casually leaned over towards Ichigo, who sat at a neighboring desk, and said, "You kind of have to admire her forwardness. It's a little disturbin' at times, and I can only imagine the bruises she has from Arisawa, but at least it's entertaining."

He watched Ichigo closely. The boy was good at physically hiding his emotions, but he could see faint lines of tension and his hand was still clenching his pencil rather tightly. "It'd be better if Inoue just realized Chizuru's a nut."

Shinji flapped his hand dismissively. "Orihime-chan's too nice. Maybe one day when she's older and wiser she can look back on this and laugh." He watched as Tatsuki right-hooked Chizuru, who made a pass at Orihime's chest. "It's all friendly, if not slightly sexual, banter. Chizuru just seems to have a different idea of it than the rest of the population."

Ichigo opened a notebook, as if preparing to take notes or read over something. Trying to look like he didn't care about what was going on. "No, she just doesn't know how to take a hint."

Head tilted to the side, Shinji regarded Ichigo, suppressing a grin. "She gets it; she just chooses to ignore it. It's been goin' on fer awhile, from what I can tell."

His usual scowl deepened. "Doesn't make it any better."

_Hook, line, and now sinker. _"Why? Orihime-chan doesn't seem to… mind."

He was being an ass, and he knew it. He considered apologizing to Ichigo one day for all the instigating, but for now, he was having too much fun. He inched away when Ichigo's reiatsu flared, but his lipless grin emerged regardless.

"Yes, she does," Ichigo said through gritted teeth. "It's like you said, she's too nice to say anything about it. Chizuru deserves to be knocked on her ass for it, and it's a good thing Tatsuki feels the same."

"Oh? It's all harmless fun, really. Still, it's chivalrous of you to be so concerned about Orihime's comfort. Unless," Shinji glanced shiftily to the side, "you're jealous?"

The next flare of reiatsu, and Ichigo's murderous glare, finally garnered the attention of some of the others.

"Jealous of _what?" _he spat,"being able to harass Inoue?"

Shinji snorted. "Oh, come on. There isn't a guy here who doesn't wish to be Chizuru when she gets a hold of Orihime-chan's knockers." It was a crude comment, so he knew he rightly deserved the fist he got to his jaw. The force of the punch knocked him out of his chair and during the fall slammed his head into another desk.

Sado leaned over and grabbed Ichigo's shoulder, holding him back before he could continue his assault. After a couple seconds, Ichigo settled back into his desk, but his scowl remained deepened and angry.

Renji, whose seat had been assigned over in the row next to Shinji's, got up and helped him to his feet.

"Thanks," Shinji said, getting up and rubbing his jaw. "I forgot how much his fist hurts."

"All right! In your seats!" Ochi-sensei walked in, and the class immediately scrambled back to their desks. Shinji sat back down, doing his best to ignore Ichigo's ominous stare as he settled into his seat. He looked ahead at the blackboard, trying hard not to laugh at Ichigo and risk getting punched again.

* * *

After a few grueling hours of trying to keep up with or even understand the lessons, Ichigo and company got their much needed reprieve when lunchtime finally came. They escaped to the rooftop, where only the eleven of them gathered. Chizuru and Orihime's other friends had to meet with their physical education teacher about something during lunch. Chizuru swore before she left that she would sit with Orihime tomorrow, come hell or high water.

"I don't know how we're going to do this," Ishida said as he collapsed onto the floor. "We missed so much. I've never felt so lost before."

Sado nodded and kneeled down next to the Quincy. "It's going to be a rough few weeks."

Ichigo settled quietly on a spot next to Orihime and Rukia. He felt inexorably drained and wondered if his brain had gone into self-destruct mode. He didn't voice any complaints about the day and instead just took out his lunch.

Orihime was animatedly talking to Tatsuki when she caught a glimpse of Ichigo's lunch. Ichigo felt someone tap his shoulder and glanced over at Orihime. "Hey."

"What does Kurosaki-kun have for lunch?"

He glanced down and picked up a thermos. "Misou soup and a sandwich, I think. There might also be some fruit in here."

Tatsuki leaned over. "At least yours is normal compared to hers."

Orihime pouted slightly. "Aw, Tatsuki-chan, but this is my favorite. Red bean paste on wheat bread with leek cuts! I also packed some kiwi fruit."

_The kiwi's normal enough, _Ichigo thought.

"I brought some wasabi sauce to dip the fruit in too!"

_Or not. _He shook his head a little, but was suddenly caught in her gaze as she smiled at him. "Would you like to try some red bean paste on bread, Kurosaki-kun?"

The chatter from the others suddenly quieted. His stomach clenched, but he refused to look intimidated. Her food choices were flat-out weird, but it was obviously possible to ingest them and survive.

He nodded. "Sure."

Tatsuki shook her head vigorously, her eyes imploring Ichigo to not go through with the taste test. He ignored her and watched Orihime as she took out a slice of bread, and spread bean paste on it. She handed it to him, her smile bright. "Here you go."

Ichigo took it, and carefully balanced it on his fingertips. He felt Rukia tense next to him, her gaze riveted on the bread. He could feel the others' stares at well and could almost make out a distinct squeak from Keigo. Gathering his courage, he lifted the bread to his mouth and bit.

The others watched intensely as he chewed on the piece of bread. Rukia began biting her nail, and even Ishida look petrified as he continued chewing.

He looked down at the bitten bread thoughtfully and was quiet for half a minute. He then looked over at Orihime, and smiled. "It's not half bad."

Tatsuki nearly choked on her drink, and the others all exclaimed in surprise as Orihime beamed. "This is great! Aside from Matsumoto-san, I never met anyone who even half liked it!"

Ichigo shrugged, and as if to prove it, took another bite out of the slice of bread. As Orihime flapped her arms giddily and rambled on about how happy she was, Shinji watched the scene amusedly. _Whipped bastard, _he thought with a grin.

"Oi, Shinji."

Shinji quickly looked over at Ichigo. "Yo, chum."

Ichigo hesitated, chewing on his bread a little more. "What the captains said in the training arena…" His eyes suddenly hardened into knowing. "You were a captain once."

Now all eyes were on him.

_Well, I was going to tell him eventually. _Shinji stretched out his legs. "Looks like I'll be the one providin' the entertainment at lunch today." He settled his hands onto his stomach, leaning lazily against the roof's edge. "You are quite correct. I was a captain, the same time Urahara was one."

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed slightly, but only in concentration. "So, when he was banned from Soul Society, you were as well?"

He nodded. "We all were. Me, the others, Urahara, Tessai, Yoruichi - well, she wasn't banned, but she did leave with us. If you wanna know the whole story, we gotta go back about 110 years." Shinji closed his eyes and let his mind wander back into the depths of his memory. He began to verbally recall those fateful events that led him from being the captain of the fifth squad to a Vizard posing as a school student.

* * *

At some point after lunch, Orihime gave up concentrating on what Ochi-sensei was lecturing about. Her mind wandered as it usually did. Instead of daydreaming though, her thoughts mulled over Shinji's past, or what he told them of it. Her eyes wandered over the room and rested on Shinji's relaxed form. He was scribbling things down in his notebook, although she was sure he was doing it just for show.

_I feel so bad for him, _she thought sadly. _He had everything going for him, and then to have it all taken away and nearly die. _Her eyes dropped to the floor and she turned her head away. _He doesn't need my pity. He's already moved on. But still, it's sad, _she thought as she looked back at him. _It's amazing how far back the damage from Aizen's scheming goes. No wonder they wanted to fight him._

Shinji glanced over at Ichigo, and Orihime's eyes followed. She watched her friend attempt to take some notes, and she couldn't stop the smile forming. _That's just like him, never giving up. _

Lines of serious concentration etched into his face as he looked up at the board, and jotted down what sensei was pointing to. Orihime was surprised to suddenly realize that face much resembled the one he wore in battle. Only, it was a different kind of battle he was waging now, one that involved his mind, not his strength and power. She sighed quietly, unconsciously fingering one of her hairpins. _It seems like he's always fighting something, or fighting for something. Battling with his intellect, battling his emotions, battling to decide what choices to make… I wish he could have some semblance of peace._

The shrill sound of the bell pulled her out of her thoughts, and she immediately began gathering her books as Ochi-sensei yelled out the assignment for homework. She made a mental note of it, although she knew she wouldn't be able to do it for some time. Not until she was caught up with her other work.

"For those of you who've been absent, I'll have your assignments tomorrow!"

Orihime nodded to her. Today, she planned to try catching up with subjects that would be easier to get up to speed with like history. Her weekend, though, was already going to be spent trying to do the rest.

The mere thought of the work ahead making her weary, she glanced behind her. She saw Mizuiro say something to Ichigo, only for the latter's eyes to widen in surprise. He tried to nod casually as he gathered up his books. Mizuiro said something else, and Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement. She heard a faint "Thanks, Mizuiro" before Mizuiro walked away.

_Wonder what that was about? _she thought as she walked out of the classroom.

* * *

_Droll day, _Shinji thought as he gathered his books. Really, the most notable thing that happened was him telling his story to the others. He wasn't surprised at the subtle looks of pity and sympathy he got from them, but at least none of them said anything aside from "I'm so sorry that happened to you" or "That was totally unfair what they did to you!" Even Hitsugaya was disturbed by the events.

As he gathered his books under his arm, Shinji smiled wryly as he thought of the tenth division captain. _Smart, steady, but he has emotions and a conscience. And with his attitude, I hold some hope for the squads. _

From his peripheral, he saw Ichigo walk past him. He wouldn't have paid mind to it, except he seemed to be in a hurry. Frowning, he watched Ichigo quickly walk out the door. From the glimpses he caught of his face, he looked determined, if not rather nervous.

_What the hell's gotten into him? _Curious, and unlike his co-Vizard in no rush, Shinji strolled after him.

* * *

Ichigo knew he had to catch up with her before she either got too far away or he lost his nerve. He thought over the conversation he had with Mizuiro as he sped down the halls after her, trying to decide if his decision was the right one.

_He had been ready to just walk out, remembering his promise to Yuzu that he would be home right after school._

"_Ichigo!" Mizuiro's voice caught him by surprise. _

_He turned around and furrowed his brow in confusion as Mizuiro walked up to him. "I'm so sorry I forgot. I guess with, well, everything that's happened, it slipped my mind. But, do you remember the _Bad Shield 2 _ticket I gave you?"_

"_Yeah," he said, remembering the premiere ticket that still sat on top of his desk._

"_You can bring a guest. The ticket will cover for two people. I didn't find out until after I gave it to you, and again, I sort of forgot once things got crazy."_

_He didn't know why he was so surprised, but he felt his eyes widen. "Oh. Whoa, I didn't know that."_

_His friend nodded. "It's a promotional thing, I guess. But you can bring anyone along, just as long as they're with you when you hand in the ticket."_

_He nodded, his mind already racing through the possibilities. _Chad, Tatsuki, and Keigo are out of the question, since they're already going. Renji, Shinji, Rukia… sure, I could bring them. If I wanted a one way ticket to the insane asylum.

_Ishida was just unthinkable. Besides, even if he began to magically feel chummy with the Quincy, he knew what his answer would be: a cold stare and a firm "no". That left just one person._

_Mizuiro shifted on his feet. "You don't have to bring someone, but…"_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded. "It'd be a waste."_

"_Yeah, I agree." He smiled. "Any idea of who you're bringing?"_

_Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. I have someone in mind." He looked around the room, and his heart sped up in panic when he noticed she was already leaving. "And I need to hurry. I'll talk to you later. Thanks Mizuiro."_

_With that, he hotfooted it out of there, hurrying past Shinji and everyone else as he tried to cover ground quickly and catch up to Orihime._

Ichigo hurried out the doors, waving 'bye' to Rukia and the others before shouting out to Orihime. She spun around, her eyes slightly wide as he approached her. He didn't see the puzzled looks his nakama gave him, instead focused on Orihime. "Hey, Inoue. Sorry, but, uh…" He scratched his head. _Don't lose your nerve. Just gonna ask her because she's the only available sane option left and I think she deserves to have a nice time out after what she's been through. _

"Yes?" she asked.

With his rationalization to back him up, he regained some semblance of confidence. "Can I walk you home and talk to you about something along the way?"

Her eyes became huge, and she mumbled something incoherent. She blushed, and Ichigo secretly noted how pretty she was when her face was flush like that. _The hell am I thinking? I mean, yeah, she is but since when do I notice these things? _

"Yes."

Caught off guard, Ichigo blinked. "Er, what?"

She smiled wryly. "Yes, you can walk me home."

He laughed nervously, only adding to the already awkward situation. "Oh, uh, right. Sure. L-Lead the way."

She nodded, her smile sunny, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. They were concerned, probably because of his behavior, and as they began walking down the path to her house, Ichigo mentally cursed himself for his idiocy and tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

* * *

"And the Bumbling Idiot of the Day award goes to our very own Kurosaki Ichigo." Shinji shook his head at the awkward scene that unfolded between the teenagers. Orihime was blushing and Ichigo was laughing nervously: all telltale signs of the typical awkwardness and shyness that came with adolescents interacting with one another, especially when they were of the opposite gender. He walked down the steps, smirking as the pair walked away. "Gotta love the teenage years."

While he thought the scene was entertaining, and mildly cute, it also put him at a disadvantage. He had wanted to talk to Orihime about the training arena incident, but Ichigo had unwillingly ruined his plans.

As he was stretching his neck to work out a kink, Shinji spotted the other four friends. He glanced at Ichigo and Orihime, and then back at them again. _Maybe this might be a better arrangement. _

"Hey!" He jogged over to the four, who were about to go their separate ways. As he made his way to them, he noted the surprised and mildly suspicious looks they all wore. "Hope I wasn't interrupin' anything, but I'd like to talk to ya."

"Who, exactly?" Ishida asked, pushing his glasses back.

"All of ya," Shinji answered. "if you don't mind takin' a detour to your respective homes."

Rukia dusted off her skirt and shifted the weight of her books before nodding. "I will walk with you." She gestured for the men to follow as she began walking, leaving the others little choice but to comply. "After all, I think I know what you want to discuss with us."

* * *

The town around them was bustling with life and activity. People walked by them, chatting with their friends or into their phones. Despite the cool temperature, the streets were still flocked with vendors and customers, taking advantage of the little time they had left to be outside before winter came. Ichigo was relieved to no end to see the town and its people going about their daily business, knowing no danger threatened to annihilate them or ruin what they had built.

However, it wasn't helping him with his task. He and Orihime were constantly distracted by the sights and sounds around them. Ichigo was ready to beat his head with his fist, and admonished himself that if he didn't talk soon, they would be at her house and he would have to wait until tomorrow.

_I really don't want to sweat this out for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. Get a grip and just talk to her. It's _Inoue, _your nakama. This is no big deal. _Still, his heart raced whenever he made an effort to try and ask her about the movie. If it was anyone else, he was sure he could do it. But with Orihime it was different.

_Why is this so intimidating? Just because she's a girl and I'm asking her to go to a movie with me? We're going as friends! _He cursed silently. _Why are girls so hard to approach? I went into Hueco Mundo and fought enemies like Grimmjow and Ulquiorra that would terrify anyone else. But here I am, trying to just make one simple suggestion and I'm ready to bolt._

A hand touched his arm. His gaze swung down to Orihime, who was looking at him as if she feared he was going to pass out or something. "Kurosaki-kun?"

His pulse slowed and calm filled him. She had that uncanny ability to level him out whenever he was getting out of sorts on the inside. It never ceased to amaze him and in a way, terrify him a little. "Sorry, Inoue. Uh, right, I wanted to talk to you. Do you know about the movie coming out, _Bad Shield 2_?" he asked, his nerves settled.

She nodded. "Yes. Are you going to see it, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah, I am." He glanced up uneasily. "Mizuiro gave me a ticket to see the opening show, and I guess as a promotional deal, the ticket allows you to bring a guest with you." He shut his eyes. "I was wondering if, you know, you wanted to come… with me? I mean, with everything you've gone through, I thought you might like a fun night out, and…"_I'm an idiot. What if she has plans or if she's going with Tatsuki? What if she doesn't like _Bad Shield _or just doesn't want to go? _

"I'd love to."

If the town suddenly set on fire and chaos reigned, he wouldn't have noticed. He couldn't tear his wide, surprised eyes away from Orihime's face. She blushed a deep red and looked away shyly.

Once he managed to regain some form of composure, he nodded and cleared his throat. "Uh, oh, um… g-great. It's December 5th, so it's a little over a month away. We could make arrangements with time and all once it's, uh, a little closer to December."

"Y-Yeah," she smiled and nodded rapidly. "Good idea. Um, thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

He smiled, albeit a little shakily. "Sure."

* * *

Rukia walked confidently down the street, flanked by the four men. Not much had been said between the companions. She refused to discuss whatever it was Shinji wanted to talk to them about until they were far away from the school. When they turned onto a street devoid of people, she relaxed a little and glanced over her shoulder at Shinji. "Very well. I assume the whole point of this is to discuss what happened in the training arena, no?"

She was met with three blank stares and a grin. "Nothin' gets past you, it seems," Shinji said.

"Well, I figured whatever it was you wanted to talk to us about had to do with Ichigo and Inoue, and I wanted to talk to you about what happened, actually." She casually swung her arm at her side, gripping her books tightly. "_Do _you know what happened?"

Ishida looked at the conversing duo thoughtfully. "Am I to assume you two are referring to when Kurosaki got upset with the captains and Inoue-san's reiatsu disappearing afterwards?"

"Oh, _that._" Renji's words were punctuated with the heavy, tense atmosphere that settled over them.

Shinji lowered his head a bit, almost as if the tension were weighing down on him. "Yes, _that. _I suppose you all noticed?" He received four nods and continued. "I did as well, along with Urahara and a couple others. Did any of you, uh, observe the two of them when it happened?"

Rukia nodded. "Yeah. When Inoue's reiatsu vanished, she sort of looked… happy." She would never forget how shocked she was. Orihime was just standing there with her hand on Ichigo's shoulder, smiling gently at him, when Rukia herself would have been pounding him to bits for snapping at the captains. But then, she wasn't Orihime, and the healer was a lot less violent than she was. "It's not like her. She was worried the moment before, but she relaxed suddenly. And Ichigo got this… _possessive_ look. I don't know how else to describe it." What unnerved her more than Orihime's surprising behavior was Ichigo's. The possessive look only lasted for a second, but she caught it. Ichigo was a dense-headed idiot, but he certainly wasn't the greedy, "this-woman-is-mine" type.

She wondered for a moment that maybe it wasn't totally Ichigo who gave Orihime that look.

Ishida shook his head. "Yes, I remember that quite distinctly. I was very surprised."

Sado looked down at Shinji. "What did Urahara have to say about it?"

"Well, he didn't seem to have any ideas at first." Shinji scratched the side of his head. "In regards to their behavior, we're clueless. As to the reiatsu disappearin' act, we talked about it again this morning on the phone while I walked to school. I dunno who he heard it from or where he got the idea, but it's plausible."

He paused, rolling his shoulders before elaborating. "Here's how it goes. There's this technique called "seireihei" which is more commonly referred to as "reihei". This technique is considered a lost art, although rumor has it that the Royal Guard still uses it." He began to motion with his free hand. "Simply, reihei is using your reiatsu to shield or cover someone else's. I guess it kinda wraps around another's reiatsu, pretty much blockin' it."

Ishida nodded. "It acts like a wall, as the name implies, or perhaps more like a blanket?"

"Bingo. The boys and girls at the RG are said to use it to cover the Reiou's reiatsu whenever he has to go outside the Royal Realm, which is next to never. They probably use it more in case there's an invasion or some such." He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, point is, we're thinkin' Ichigo might have inadvertently used this to cover Orihime-chan's reiatsu when he was on the defensive around the captains."

_How is it that Ichigo always seems to be able to do these things without the slightest bit of conscious effort? _Rukia thought, shaking her head. "But it wasn't like the captains were going to attack her or anything."

The Vizard shrugged. "Ichigo always has an extreme reaction to things, and I think he was still mentally recoverin' from everything that happened the day before." He stretched out his arms, slowing his pace down slightly. "He seems to do this around Orihime-chan rather easily. I'd expect more overprotective behavior from him in the future."

Renji snorted. "That wouldn't surprise me. You pissed him off enough today with those remarks about Chizuru."

Shinji chuckled good-humoredly. "It was too good to pass up."

Spinning around on her heel, Rukia was quickly facing Shinji. "I suggest you don't anger him too much, not when it comes to her. I'm all up for ribbing him, but he has a shorter fuse when it comes to Inoue."

"I know, but it's vital to my research."

"Research?" All four of them asked in union.

He nodded happily. "Yes. Hiyori and the gang, minus Hachi, will be heading off to Soul Society to do some in a day or two, while I'll be staying here and observing Orihime-chan and Ichigo closely. Look," He raised his hand before they could object. "I'm not going to be spying on them. I'm only going to be watching them at school.

"But they've changed. As their nakama, you can see it, I know it. I want to know more and really, it would be beneficial if ya helped. If anything, for their sake. I can't do it alone. You're closer to them than I am. I'd really appreciate it, and I think they may in the long run."

He was met with silence, initially. They were uneasy at first and were seriously debating it. Postures were tight and their pace slowed slightly.

"Fine." Rukia sighed. "I want to help them and I am curious, too."

The others nodded after a moment of hesitation.

"What can we do to help?" Sado asked cautiously.

"Right now, I would like to know what was going through Orihime-chan's head when Ichigo used reihei. If possible, maybe for someone else to wheedle out of him what he was thinking."

"I'll talk to Inoue," Rukia volunteered. "I think one of the guys should talk to Ichigo."

Sado raised his hand. "I'll talk to him."

Renji patted him on the back. "Good luck with that. It'll be like pulling teeth with that guy. Really," He rolled his eyes, "he's so dense and stubborn, yet he can do forgotten and weird techniques like this reihei thing and learn bankai in under three days and go into a full Hollow form that can crush a high ranking Espada. Will it never end?"

Shinji laughed. It echoed down the street and he quickly covered his mouth to muffle it. "That's a good one," he teased Renji as he uncovered his mouth, "but seriously, I think this is only the beginning of what that kid can do."_And all for a girl, too._


	4. Chapter 4

The usual but still major thanks to **PerennialLurker **for beta-reading this and for the feedback she gave me. Grateful and heartfelt thanks and hugs to those who reviewed. You have no idea how excited I get when I receive a review. This is one of my favorite chapters in the fic so far, although the title bugs me slightly because it reminds me of Ulquiorra (sorry, was not a fan of the guy). Oh well. I hope you like it as much as I do.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Heart to heart_

Hitsugaya sat on a bench in a vacant park right outside the school, wondering what to do next. He accomplished everything he set out to do today in the human world: Ichigo and his friends were excused for their missed time and the town was secure. He knew Soul Society would want to keep a team down there, but he was not sure if he would remain its leader. The lack of communication and decision-making was bothering him. He understood things were hectic with the war's end and all, but they needed to keep _some_ semblance of order.

As if on cue, his communicator beeped. He flipped it open and answered, "Hitsugaya." He listened and then nodded a couple times. "Right. I understand. Have a gate ready in two minutes." He hung up and then punched a few buttons. He pressed the phone back to his ear and waited patiently. "Abarai?" he said after a few moments.

"_Yo, captain._"

"I've been called back to Soul Society. I don't know what they're planning, but until we receive further orders you're in charge. Understood?"

There was a pause and then, "_Yes, sir. Leave it to me."_

"Good." Hitsugaya shut his phone and leaned back on the bench. _I have no idea what's going on. I don't know what the status is on the commander-general or the injured or anything. _He shook his head. _What a mess things are._

A leadership breakdown was to be expected, with Yamamoto still comatose. Unohana and Kyouraku were in charge, for now, but Hitsugaya feared problems would arise. Conflicts, how far to stretch their authority, post-war clean up… the list was endless. A small, selfish part of him hoped he would be staying in the human world. _At least I'd stay relatively sane here._

At the same time, he still wanted to return to Soul Society. Two vice-captains he held dear were still hospitalized. One aggravated him on a daily basis, and the other was distant as of late because of emotional and psychological issues. That didn't change how he felt about them, though. They were two of only a handful of people he sincerely cared about, and he wanted to be nearby while they recovered. _I don't know what to do. _He rested his head in his hands, his mind wandering off in a thousand different directions. _I guess what comes, comes. _

A moment later, a senkaimon gate opened up next to him. He glanced around, and when he was sure no one was looking or even in the vicinity, began to walk towards it. _All I can hope for now is that I do the right thing when the time comes: for Soul Society, for my squad, for Matsumoto and my friends, and… for me. The war's aftermath will change a lot of things. _He walked through the gate, and glanced behind him before the doors shut. _Let us hope that those changes will be for the better._

_

* * *

_

Rukia wasn't sure if she would be welcomed. She had, after all, left rather abruptly with no explanation. Standing nervously in front of the Kurosaki Clinic, she searched for Ichigo's reiatsu. It was coming in her direction but it was still a little ways off. Swallowing, she gathered her courage and knocked on the door.

Yuzu opened the door and began to say, "Hello" until she saw who it was. She quieted and her eyes widened. "Oh, Rukia-chan!" She turned around. "Daddy! Look who's here!" she called to her father.

Isshin appeared in the doorway in seconds and beamed. "Rukia-chan! We were so worried! Come in, come in!" With a tug on her hand, he pulled her in before she could get a word in edge-wise.

"M-my apologies, uncle. Something came up and I-"

Isshin waved his hand. "No need to explain! Yuzu, my dear! Fix up something for our dear Rukia-chan! She must be famished!"

Rukia tried to protest, but Yuzu was already off to the kitchen, and moments later, the sound of pots clanging together could be heard. She chuckled nervously. "Uh, uncle, I'm fine, really."

"Consider it a welcome home snack! And don't worry: your cot and everything is still in place!"

She bowed her head. "Thank you. I really am sorry if my absence caused any problems."

Isshin shook his head stubbornly. "Nah. We all just figured you went after my idiot son. By the way, since it seems you went to school today, do you know where he's at?"

She raised her head and blinked. "Um… he was talking to Inoue the last time I saw him. He might have walked her home."

Just as she said this, Karin came into the room. Rukia knew she heard what she said, because the dark-haired girl paused, and her eyes widened. "Inoue? You mean Inoue Orihime? He walked her home?"

Isshin's mouth dropped dramatically. "He… he… _he walked a girl home_!" He ran to Masaki's poster and sprawled himself over it. "Our son has finally become enamored with a woman, Masaki! It's a miracle!"

Rukia winced as Isshin sobbed into the poster, crying in jubilation. _Ichigo's going to kill me for this. _

Karin rolled her eyes. "Stupid old man. Still, I'm surprised. He actually walked her home? I mean, he's walked Tatsuki home before, but they were just friends."

Rukia set her books down on the table and smiled wryly. "He is friends with Inoue. She's been through a lot lately, so I think we're all just trying to be there for her right now." She smoothed out her skirt. "I guess that was just his way of showing it."

Karin nodded, slouching into a table chair. "Try telling that to him." She waved a hand idly at her father, who was still in happy hysterics all over Masaki's poster.

The side door slammed opened and Ichigo walked in. He greeted Yuzu, still in the kitchen working on Rukia's snack. He stopped in his tracks, which were intended for his room when he heard his father carrying on about something. Scowl in place, he entered the living room. "What the hell, Dad?"

Isshin spun around, and his face brightened and his tears dried instantly. "My son! I have heard the joyous news! The sweet bells of love have finally rung for you! Tell me! What's she like? When do we get to meet her?"

Ichigo looked baffled. He glanced at Rukia, and she shrugged helplessly.

"Inoue Orihime, of all the girls!" Isshin finally clarified.

His son turned bright red. "Inoue?" A scathing glare was aimed at Rukia before he returned his gaze to his father. "I walked her home, that's it. End of story," he snapped.

"You wouldn't be so embarrassed! Come now, tell Daddy everything."

"No." Ichigo's tone was final. He moved past his father, his face still red.

Rukia raised her brow, arms crossed as Ichigo stormed past her. She sighed lightly. "Oi, wait up, Ichigo!" She walked after him, wondering just how angry he was with her.

Ichigo ignored her as he hurried up the stairs, and Rukia had to jog to keep up with him. When they got to his room, he tried to slam the door shut before she could get in but she blocked it with a well-timed kick. The door bounced back and banged into the wall behind it. She leaned against the doorframe, leg crossed in front of the other. "Hello to you, too."

"What do you want?" he mumbled, opening his closet.

She rolled her eyes, deciding not to smack him for his rudeness and surly attitude. He _did _have good reason to be mad at her. "Why did you walk Inoue home?" she asked. "You were in quite a hurry to catch up to her after school."

Ichigo didn't answer right away. He pulled out Kon's mod pill, balancing it in the palm of his hand as he glanced around his room. Not finding what he was looking for, he sighed and looked back at Rukia, his dark eyes tinged with annoyance. "None of your business."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment. She refrained from beating him senseless for his attitude once more, but she still wanted an answer.

She suddenly remembered her earlier conversation with Shinji and how she promised to talk to Orihime. She smirked, and resisted the urge to laugh. "Fine. I'll just ask Inoue when I see her tonight." She turned to leave, suppressing her glee that she had backed Ichigo into a corner. Instead, she relaxed her body and kept her face neutral.

"Wait."

She stopped and turned around to watch him. She tilted her head, and her expression urged him to continue.

Conflict played on his face. "Why are you seeing Inoue tonight?" he asked, albeit hesitantly.

The opportunity was too good to pass up. "None of your business," she answered dryly.

She chuckled as he glowered at her, hand clenched at his side. She was enjoying this. She would find out what happened either way, and it had to be something good if Ichigo was going through such trouble to hide it. "Your choice."

He gritted his teeth and yanked at his hair. "_Fine. _If you must know, I asked her to come see _Bad Shield 2 _with me in December. It's a movie, and the ticket I got from Mizuiro lets you bring two people. So, I'm bringing her. Happy?"

Her mouth dropped and for a moment, she stared at him in complete shock. She couldn't believe it. Ichigo, her dense, scowling, foul-tempered friend, had a _date _with _Inoue. _She thought the sweetness of it all would give her a cavity.

"Oh!" Rukia's eyes went wide and shined brightly as she clapped her hands together. All false fronts and pretenses went out the window as emotion swelled up in her. "You're going on a date with Inoue! That's so cute!"

"It's not a date!" he hissed. "I'm taking her as a friend! And she was the best option available."

The tiny woman snorted. "There were plenty of other people available to go with." She suppressed a smirk, knowing Ichigo would try and downplay the situation as much as he could. Heck, she was sure he honestly _believed_ he wanted to take Orihime as a friend. That much was clear. She also knew that there was more to it. Why else would he have avoided answering her? _He's probably not even sure why himself,_ she thought with an inward chuckle. "You could have asked Shinji, Renji, Ishida, or even myself," she continued, eyebrow cocked in an arch.

Ichigo crossed his arms, his expression clearly saying, 'What are you, nuts?' "It's bad enough Keigo will be acting like a loon. I wasn't going to have Shinji rib me the whole time, or Renji making dumb remarks." He rolled his eyes, and began to walk past her. He was still palming Kon's mod soul pill, and Rukia finally realized that he was looking for the plushie doll Kon typically inhabited. "I can only imagine the look Ishida would give me if I asked, and I don't need _you _driving me nuts," Ichigo said, peering into Karin and Yuzu's room.

Rukia glared. "Excuse me? I would be enjoyable company!" Her giddiness didn't fade, but irritation leaked through. Though she knew that she would have done everything in her power to annoy him, the remark was still insulting and she certainly wasn't going to stand there and _take _it.

"That's a load of crap. And don't even try to fly off the handle on me, because it's true," he said before she could counter his remark. "Now, I answered your question. You answer mine." He stepped into the twins' room, and a few moments later, emerged with Kon's plush doll in hand. Before he put the mod soul pill in, however, he fixated his gaze on Rukia. His brow furrowed and it was clear that he was waiting for an answer.

Although miffed that he stole her chance of unleashing her righteous indignation, Rukia placed her annoyance aside and thought over her answer carefully. She didn't like lying to Ichigo, but she was sure that Shinji didn't want him knowing about what he was doing. Not yet, at least. "Girl talk, really. There are a couple of things I want to talk to Inoue about." Vague, but not untrue. She planned on talking to Orihime about more than just the training ground incident. "Just to make sure she's really okay, after what happened," she added softly.

Ichigo paused, training his gaze on Rukia. She met it and crossed her arms, a gesture that quietly dared him to question her. Wisely, he merely nodded and popped the pill into the stuffed lion.

Kon came to life and immediately leaped at Rukia. "Neeeeeeeeee-saaaaaaaan!"

Like always, Rukia batted him away with her hand, sending him bouncing down the hall and into Ichigo's room. She heard him weakly murmur, "Yes, my Nee-san is home once again!"

"Glad to see he hasn't changed at all," Rukia remarked, glancing behind her at Kon, who was sprawled on the floor in Ichigo's room. "All right. I'm going to change and then head down to the Shouten for awhile before I go and see Inoue." She walked towards the twins' room but paused at the door. "Have fun doing homework," she said to Ichigo with a grin.

"Bite me," he muttered darkly as he headed towards his room.

Kon lifted his head. "Changing? As in, clothes? Nee-san, allow me to assist you!"

He began to get up and made a running dash for the hall. Ichigo kicked him, and sent him back the way he came. Kon began to protest, but Ichigo went inside and slammed the door shut. From then on, Rukia could only hear muted wailing. She shook her head and peered inside the room. "I hope my dresses are still here," she said to herself before entering.

* * *

The evening seemed to drag out for Hitsugaya. Although he hoped that his summon to Soul Society meant a decision was made, he was quickly proven wrong. A captains' meeting was scheduled for that evening, but due to conflicting circumstances, the time of it was still unknown or so he was told.

He initially took the time to check up on his squad. His third seat reported all pertinent and necessary information, and Hitsugaya was relieved to hear they were holding up well, especially with Matsumoto's absence. However, it still left him with a lot of free time and little to do. There wasn't even a lot of paperwork to his immense surprise (and in this rare case, annoyance).

The minutes ticked by. The young captain was pacing around in his office, trying to curb his restlessness and get his thoughts organized. His patience with the apparent breakdown in order was wearing thin, and his boredom wasn't helping matters. On top of it all, he wasn't allowed to visit Matsumoto or Hinamori. The fourth squad member he talked to explained that Matsumoto was in the middle of a procedure. That he understood completely. What he didn't understand was why he couldn't see Hinamori. The attendant said she hadn't been told any details, but she knew that Hinamori was unavailable for reasons she could not say.

_What the hell? _Hitsugaya still couldn't wrap his head around it. Did something happen? Had her condition changed and they weren't sure what to tell him? Whatever the reasoning, he planned on having a word with Unohana. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her that concerned the two vice-captains. But he had even more questions he wanted to address at the captain's meeting, whenever it was.

At dusk, he heard a sharp knock on his door. "Come in."

The door slid open and kneeling on the floor was a messenger. "Hitsugaya-taichou! The captains' meeting is to begin shortly. Please come as soon as possible."

_Finally, _Hitsugaya said with an inward sigh. "I will be there. Thank you." He nodded, and the messenger bowed his head before exiting in a flash.

Hitsugaya lifted Hyourinmaru and secured the sword on his back. "Let's get this done and over with." He left his office, quietly stepping through the halls until he was outside. He paused, breathing in the fresh air before he shifted his feet and flash-stepped.

The extra energy and the sheer speed relieved some of his built up tension. The blur of the buildings as he rushed by them made him feel as if he were in a different, separate place, and as odd as the sensation was, it relaxed him.

Within minutes, he was in front of the meeting hall. He smoothed out his robes, and an expression of neutrality masked all his boiling concerns, annoyances, and questions.

The door slid open, and he was greeted to the sight of the rest of the captains already assembled. "Hitsugaya's the last one," Kyouraku commented as the tenth division captain entered and stood in his usual spot next to Mayuri. "So let's begin."

The assembly of captains was not the same as normal. The general-commander was absent and standing in his stead were Kyouraku and Unohana. The rest of the captains were in their normal positions, although the two rows were even more pocketed with gaps due to the shortage of captains.

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Unohana began, "would you report the status in the human world?"

He nodded. "The situation remains stable," he said in a professional, monotone voice, "The residents seem to have no recollection of the events that took place. Those who assisted us in the war are settling back into their lives and they were excused for their missed school time. Other than that, everything is running smoothly. There were also no Hollow or Arrancar sightings."

"Good to hear." Kyouraku pushed his hat back and regarded the rest of the captains. "I realize things have been hectic and a general mess. But between recovering from the battle, checking on Old Yama, and trying to get things organized and running with him gone…" He sighed, and rubbed a hand over his face. "It's been hard, so I'm asking everyone to bear with us for a bit."

"We understand the difficulties, but I think our concern for the moment is our next step," Komamura said.

Unohana clasped her hands in front of her, closing her eyes as she answered, "We need to begin an investigation into finding Ichimaru and Tousen. Along with regaining order and replacing the vacant captain and Central 46 seats, we need to make sure things remain stable in Karakura."

When she rested her gaze on Hitsugaya, he knew exactly what his assignment was going to be. "Would you continue to head a team and remain stationed down there? You did an excellent job before, and you already established ties with our allies and other residents."

Considering the other tasks the Gotei 13 had on their plate, Hitsugaya felt he got the easy end of the deal, although a part of him protested at the idea of leaving Matsumoto and Hinamori behind. "I will do so. Am I keeping the same people on the team as before?"

Kyouraku shook his head. "Not entirely. Abarai-fukutaichou and Kuchiki Rukia will remain down there, and we'll be sending Matsumoto-fukutaichou once she's recovered. However, we're pulling Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa out and replacing them with a vice-captain." Kyouraku suddenly looked guilty, his head bowing slightly and his countenance darkening. Hitsugaya knew it couldn't be good. "We wanted to have fewer people on the team, even if it's only by one without sacrificing too much of the group's strength. So, we thought another vice-captain would be suitable."

Hitsugaya didn't like the way his gut was suddenly clenching. "Who is the vice-captain you're sending down?" he asked, his tone a little harder and urgent than he intended.

Unohana opened her eyes and smiled apologetically. "We're sending Hinamori-fukutaichou."

* * *

Back in the human world, Rukia was walking swiftly through the streets of Karakura. The night air was chilly and her dress did little to protect her legs. It was a long walk from the Shouten to Orihime's apartment, and the cold temperatures only made the trek seem longer.

She spotted Orihime's house in the distance. Wanting to get out of the cold as quickly as possible, she sprinted the rest of the distance, even as her all but frozen bones protested in pain. When she arrived at the door, she pounded on it and then waited with her arms crossed.

Within seconds the door opened and Orihime peered out. "Kuchiki-san! I didn't know you were coming over!"

"No. Sorry, Inoue. It was a bit last minute," she lied, smiling despite how much her teeth wanted to chatter from the cold. "If you're too busy, I can easily come over another-"

"Oh, no! Please come in! I was just making some tea." She opened the door wider, allowing Rukia to walk in.

"Thanks, Inoue." Rukia warmed herself up as she kicked off her shoes before walking further inside. "Wow. I don't think I've been over at this new place of yours. Strange, isn't it?"

Orihime shut the door. "A little. We always met at the Shouten or the school," she commented as she smiled at Rukia. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," Rukia said as she took off her coat. She draped it over the arm of Orihime's couch as her friend hurried into the kitchen. Rukia stalled in the living room, taking the time to look around. She noted a lot of the same furniture from Orihime's old apartment, and the little shrine dedicated to Sora. Her feet seemed to take her there without her willing it. She stood staring at Sora's picture, remembering the night he attacked Orihime and how close that fight came to ending in disaster. _It's been months. I think it was sometime in May when it happened and it's almost November now. I can't believe it's been that long. _

It was a time when Ichigo relied heavily on Rukia's help, and when he was still yet new to being a shinigami and fighting Hollows. Sado and Inoue were just normal teenagers, and she was estranged from Renji and had no decent relationship with her brother. To most shinigami, a few months hardly meant anything, but to her, those months had changed everything. _Yes, a lot has changed. Maybe we're only beginning to understand just how much._

"Kuchiki-san? The tea's ready."

Rukia blinked but immediately shoved her musings aside as she went to fetch her tea from Orihime. "Ah, thank you," she said as she took the cup from her.

Orihime nodded and led her to the dining table, where they sat down with their tea. Rukia took a sip and smiled. "Mmm, this is good. A lot better than the more bitter tea Urahara usually serves."

"Thank you!" Orihime beamed. "I usually like my tea sweet, too." She sipped before setting her cup down. "But you were at Urahara-san's? Did you hear anything about Hitsugaya-taichou?"

Rukia held her tea cup in her hands. She was a little relieved Orihime found something to talk about that could lead to what Rukia wanted to discuss. Normally not afraid to say what was on her mind, Rukia had been a little unsure of how to start. "He called Renji earlier, telling him he was in charge until he had further orders. We haven't heard back yet."

Orihime nodded. She brushed a strand of hair back and briefly closed her eyes as she let her head lean forward. Rukia thought she looked worn out. "I see. I was just wondering if he was coming back or not, so I could set up a room for him and Rangiku-san, if she's coming back." She smiled slightly. "It's been odd without them around. Too quiet."

Something in Orihime's tone, a strain in her voice, alerted Rukia. She would have missed it, had she not been looking or listening for any signs of trouble. "Inoue, are you okay?" she asked quietly. "Have you been all right? I've wanted to ask you that, and it's one of the reasons I came over," she confessed.

"I'm fine!" Orihime insisted, smiling as if to emphasize the point. "I just got used to them being around, and now they're not here."

Rukia frowned slightly. She didn't believe Orihime at all. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something in Orihime's eyes and voice were telling her that something wasn't right. "Inoue."

Orihime bowed her head further, her hands clasped tightly on the table. Rukia scooted towards her until she was sitting next to her and placed her hand on Orihime's. "Look at me," she said softly.

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second before they opened and looked at Rukia uneasily. She was holding back tears; Rukia could see it in those brown eyes that looked far too world-weary and sad to belong to a sixteen-year old. "I was okay last night. I slept soundly," Orihime whispered, her voice gravelly and tight from the withheld tears. "I came home from school today and worked on some homework. I was tired, so I took a nap, and…"

Rukia squeezed her hands, knowing all too well what happened next. "You had a nightmare." She nodded to herself when Orihime looked down at the table. "About what, exactly?"

"Kurosaki-kun. When we were on top of the dome."

_I was afraid this might happen. _Rukia's heart clenched, seeing Orihime look so somber and ashamed. She was keeping too much bottled up, and Rukia was determined to make her let it all out.

"Well, at first, it was flashes of his other fights. Like, when Grimmjow landed hits on him or when Tesla was pounding him to death." It upset her to remember; Rukia could tell by the way Orihime fretted with her hands a little. "Then it went to the dome." Orihime shut her eyes again and bit her lip as she fought to stay composed.

Rukia remembered her description of the fight at the Shouten two days earlier. She could imagine the images Orihime was remembering: seeing Ichigo get his chest blown apart, watching him fall, witnessing Ishida's quick defeat, and then Ichigo rising back up in his new form. Her eyes widened. _That Hollow form. Is she…?_

"Inoue…"

"I thought I moved past that. But remembering it all over again, it just makes it so clear." Her hand pressed into her forehead. "I'm so horrible," she choked out, and began to lose the battle with her tears as they spilled out, "If it were Abarai-san or Sado-kun or you up there, it wouldn't have happened. You would have fought Ulquiorra off instead of just screaming. I panicked and cried out and then he – he turned into that form just to protect me and I-"

She sobbed, and Rukia immediately pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Inoue, I would have panicked, too. And if it were me, Sado or Renji up there, we'd be dead. Ulquiorra would have killed any of us easily. As strange as it sounds, you did the right thing." Rukia laughed humorlessly. "Someone had to get Ichigo up off his lazy butt and get him fighting again."

Orihime shook her head. "I wanted to protect him. I trained so I could be strong and fight alongside him. Instead, I was taken and he came after me and protected me. Again." Her body shook, and Rukia held her tighter, trying to soothe her as she patted her back. "I want to help him. I – I wanted to cheer him up and make him strong again and – and help him be himself again.

"Just like… you did," she whispered. "I want to support him and tell him not to worry, that I can handle myself. That's what nakama do." Her head dropped onto Rukia's shoulder. "I failed him, Kuchiki-san."

The next five minutes were excruciating for both girls. Orihime poured out all her pent-up emotions on Rukia's shoulder and Rukia sat with her, wishing there was something she could do to ease Orihime's pain. She knew her friend needed to let it out though, and as she did, Rukia thought over her words, petting Orihime's hair in the meanwhile.

When Orihime finally calmed with only the occasional sniffle was heard, Rukia gently pulled Orihime back. "Inoue, I think you're misunderstanding a few things," she said with a soft smile.

"I am?" Orihime wiped away the leftover tears on her cheeks.

Rukia nodded. "Yes. I know you want to protect Ichigo. But it's hard to. He's so much stronger than the rest of us and since he always wants to protect everyone else, he makes it difficult to shield him." She sighed in annoyance at the thought. "Even if _I_ wanted to protect him, I doubt he'd let me. Don't take it as something you failed to do. Take it as it is: Ichigo being a difficult ass and trying to do all the work." Rukia smoothed Orihime's bangs, which were messed up from her crying on her shoulder. "Don't let that get you down. It's something we all have a problem with. Someday, though, I think you will be able to protect him."

Rukia squeezed Orihime's shoulders affectionately. "Don't you remember what he said? He did that for you. I know it makes you feel bad but, Inoue, it's not like you wanted it to happen. You were in serious danger and so was Ishida. You needed help. Ichigo would have never forgiven himself if he couldn't stand to protect you."

The manner in which he did so and why it even happened were still a mystery, but at the moment, Rukia considered that irrelevant. "Ulquiorra was out of your league. Sure, you could have charged at him but you would have died. What good would that have done?" She eyed Orihime sternly. "You might feel useless about screaming, but it was no more futile than the other option and it got something done, albeit indirectly. That's what counts."

Suddenly, a chuckle escaped her, and she bowed her head to stop from laughing further. "I'm sorry, but it's just so strange that you wished you could do something I do. I mean," she looked back up at Orihime. "You said you wished you could do what I do, like beating up Ichigo and getting his act together. Truth is, Inoue, I wish _I_ could do what _you_ do for him."

She wasn't surprised when Orihime looked at her like she just sprouted horns. "What… I do for him?"

Rukia nodded. "It's more subtle than what I do. Yes, I kick his ass and snap him out of funks but what you do for him is amazing. You _do _cheer for him. You support him unconditionally. You give him something to fight for and are the one to heal him once he's done. He needs that, you know." She laid a hand on Orihime's cheek. "Not just the healing, I mean, but the purpose. He told me once you're the one who convinced him to come after me when I was arrested. You seem to be able to drive him to do anything, and we all know that idiot needs motivation."

She inhaled deeply, catching her breath and allowing herself a moment to think of how to word what she wanted to say next. "What I think I admire the most is how different he is around you. You bring out this soft side of him I hardly see. I feel like," She paused, placing a finger to her lips, "he's himself, the real him. The punk façade, the tough guy attitude, it drops when you're around. I watch him when he's talking to you and I think to myself, 'There's _Ichigo_, what he is underneath it all.' I see it and so do the others, I think, and it's great."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "So, yes, I mentor him or give him a push in the right direction but you're his main support, whether either one of you realizes it or not. Besides, you shouldn't have to do everything. Be his support and I'll be his guide. Sound like a deal?"

Orihime nodded. A few more tears trickled out but she was smiling, at least. "Y-yeah. I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's all right. You needed to get it off your chest, and it was something we needed to clear up." She ruffled Orihime's hair tenderly and grinned. "Just remember, even if you can't always fight by his side, you're the one who keeps him alive and you care a lot about him. That's all he needs."

Orihime giggled when Rukia ruffled her hair. "Thank you, Kuchiki-san, I…" Her smile faltered. "I – I know you're right, but I can't help but wonder how it helps if he doesn't even know. I mean, not that it should matter or anything but maybe – what if -" She laughed nervously, and shook her head. "I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, actually."

It was a perfect tie-in to the second thing Rukia wanted to find out. "You mean, how would it affect him if he doesn't know that you care so much," She tilted her head and mentally braced herself for what was to come next, "or that you love him?"

Beneath her hands, Rukia felt Orihime jerk. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open slightly. "How…?"

"Women's intuition." So, her instincts were right, Rukia thought. She smirked as she continued, "You care greatly about everyone, but there was something different with you in regards to Ichigo. And what just happened now, that sort of convinced me."

Orihime went instantly red, and she glanced away shyly. "O-oh… well, um, you're right."

Rukia chuckled. "Don't be so embarrassed!" she chided lightly, "There's nothing wrong or bad about loving someone, granted it's a healthy love." She was genuinely happy for Orihime. Loving someone, she knew, was uplifting even if at times hard. Her only concern was that Ichigo, infamously thick-headed, would never catch on to Orihime's feelings, but that was something they would worry about later.

"You're the second person to know. Well," Orihime laughed nervously, putting a hand on the back of her head. "Third, sort of."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Sort of?"

"The first person I told was Rangiku-san. The second person - I did tell him, but he was asleep."

Rukia opened her mouth to respond but closed it quickly. A part of her wasn't sure how to react. To buy time, she suggested, "I think this is going to call for some ice cream before we continue." She stood up on her feet, stretching her hand out to Orihime. "If you have any, that is."

Orihime nodded happily. "Ah, yes I do, actually!" She took Rukia's hand and stood up. "A bowl doesn't sound too bad right now."

Rukia followed her to the freezer. "We'll each have a bowl, and you can tell me all about this little midnight confession of yours." She had a feeling they were going to be eating a lot of ice cream. Between what she was about to be told and the discussion they needed to have, Rukia knew they were in for a long night.

* * *

The first sound Matsumoto registered when she woke up was machinery. A machine was beeping and she could faintly hear monitors whirring somewhere in the background.

Then she felt another presence in the room. She concentrated, and recognized the reiatsu belonging to her captain. If she had the energy or strength she would have grinned. She knew her captain cared even if he hardly acted like he did, but that confirmation was always nice to have. Her eyes cracked opened, and she tilted her head to her left, where Hitsugaya sat watching her. "Taichou," she murmured.

"Matsumoto, you should be resting," Hitsugaya scolded. His tone was stern, but his eyes were soft.

She wanted to shake her head but couldn't, and she mentally cursed her lack of energy. "And miss you visiting me? Never," she teased.

"Ha ha," Hitsugaya said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Matsumoto half smiled, the most she could manage. "I thought you'd be in the human world."

He sighed. "I will be in two days. Tomorrow, I need to go back there quickly and talk to Inoue-san. I hate to ask her to shelter shinigami again, but I don't know where else to go. Kuchiki and Abarai are staying down there again, so they'll more than likely stay where they were."

She inclined her head slightly, her energy-saving version of a nod. "Who else will be down there?"

"You're going to be sent, once you're better. And…" He trailed off and his eyes shifted away from hers.

_Uh-oh. _Her captain was almost always composed. It took a lot to make him break his composure or to make him upset. Usually it was over something personal. Knowing this and becoming concerned, she frowned and asked, "And who else?"

She watched him, noticing the way his body tensed, and how his hand clenched so tightly, his knuckles turned white. Icy blue eyes met hers. "Hinamori," he answered flatly.

_Hinamori? _Matsumoto pursed her lips. _No wonder he's upset. _"Did they say why?"

The captain rested his head in his hands and inhaled deeply before speaking. "Unohana-taichou thinks that Hinamori will recover a lot more easily if she's away from Soul Society, from everything that would remind her of Aizen." His nose unconsciously scrunched at the name. "The work, she explained, would keep Hinamori busy and surrounded by her friends and a new environment, she would feel better."

Rangiku sighed lightly. "Did you try and fight it?"

He glanced away. "Yes, as both the leader of the team and as Hinamori's friend. I tried convincing her that Hinamori should be around things she's familiar with and that she had enough responsibilities here to keep her working, but I was overruled."

Unohana was in charge of Hinamori's health, Rangiku knew, and she had the final say in regards to it. "No surprise." She folded her arms over her chest, inwardly sighing at how tiresome that little task was. "Taichou," she paused, wondering if he would be willing to listen, "can I be frank here?"

Hitsugaya raised his brow. "You're actually asking me that? When did it ever stop you before?"

She scowled at him. "How mean. I'm trying to be a good fukutaichou and respect your feelings and you're teasing me."

It was funny, she thought, how many different emotions could play out on his face all at once. Surprise, annoyance, suspicion… it was amazing what one could read into Hitsugaya when his guard was down. "Fine," he said, "you have permission to be frank."

Smirking in satisfaction, Matsumoto settled herself into her bed. "Thank you," she said, adopting her usual teasing tone. She leaned her head back and allowed her body to slowly relax and reserve what little strength she had. The last thing she needed was to accidentally fall asleep while talking to her captain, especially about something so important. "I understand why you're worried about Hinamori. I am, too. I don't know how she's doing mentally or how stable she'll be. But," She glanced at him and her eyes betrayed some guilt, "I have to agree with Unohana-taichou."

His expression darkened before he closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nostrils. "Why do you say that?" He tried to sound calm but the anger was evident.

Rangiku widened her eyes in pleading. "Because I do think she needs to get out of here. Think about it. The daily grind here, it wears you down. Sure, she could go back to her duties, but she needs time to _heal. _Before, she was only recovering and trying to get back on her feet. She's still not there, taichou. I think being around just her friends and away from the wear and tear of this place will help her." She sighed. "The best thing for her is to find someone who can understand what she's feeling. I think those kids down there might be a good place to start. And," She glanced away slyly, "I think Orihime would be a big help, actually."

Hitsugaya frowned. "Inoue-san? Why?"

He was answered with a smirk. "Not my place to reveal why, but take this is as a woman giving you advice to help a woman friend of yours; Orihime can sympathize with Hinamori, and with her disposition she might be the one to cheer Hinamori up." When he kept frowning, Rangiku sighed. "Trust me on this one. Not as a fukutaichou but as a woman, okay?"

He held her gaze for another moment but eventually gave in. "All right. I'll concede and bring her along." In a rare moment, he smiled at her. "Thank you, Matsumoto."

Sighing in relief and perhaps even in triumph, she smiled back. "Don't mention it."

* * *

Naturally, Rukia pressed for details. She knew Orihime would try and gloss over the facts, just giving her the basics and not going into great length about it out of humility. When Orihime said she went into his room, Rukia asked for her reaction to it, what she initially thought. When Orihime mentioned she tried to kiss Ichigo but didn't, Rukia demanded to know what held her back. It wasn't because she was a gossip or because she was the type that had to know how and why people did or said things in minute detail, but because she wanted an idea of what was going through Orihime's head, to know what she was feeling so she could understand.

"And then I said good-bye. That's the end of it, really." Orihime laughed nervously, a blush tinting her cheeks.

"Oh, Inoue…" Rukia didn't realize there were tears threatening to pour out until she felt them sting the corners of her eyes. "That has to be the sweetest, and saddest, confession I've ever heard. I've read tons of shoujo manga but nothing they had ever came close to that."

Orihime gently stirred her ice cream, now a puddle at the bottom of her bowl, with her spoon. "I didn't even intend to do it. I just wanted to say good-bye, but it all just came up and I – I wanted the chance to tell him. I didn't think I'd ever see him again, at the time."

Rukia closed her eyes briefly. "Sometimes the dearest moments in life are the ones not planned." She shook her head sadly, "I am so sorry."

Orihime was taking a sip of her melted ice cream but froze when Rukia apologized. "For what?"

Rukia opened her eyes and clenched her hands together. "That you had to go through what you did in Hueco Mundo and see what happened to Ichigo. It takes on a different light now that I know how you feel about him." To know the one you loved died _twice_, one of those times right in front of your eyes… Rukia could hardly comprehend it or how Orihime had endured it. "No wonder you had a nightmare."

Orihime shook her head stubbornly. "He's still my nakama, and I'll be okay. They'll pass in time."

Rukia decided to be just as unbending as her friend. "Maybe, but until then don't feel ashamed and you must call me if you have a particularly bad one or you need an ear." She crossed her arms, and locked her gaze with Orihime's: all signs she had no plans of backing down.

Orihime bowed her head slightly and smiled. "All right, I promise. Thank you, Kuchiki-san."

"That's what nakama do. Now," Rukia stretched her back, mentally noting that she needed to stretch more often. The damn gigai were inflexible and too prone to cramping up. _Much like a human body, I suppose. _"There's one last thing."

Orihime blinked in surprise but smiled regardless. "What is it?"

"Inoue, um," She scratched her head, "do you remember what happened in the training arena?"

A flash of panic and recognition passed through Orihime's eyes. Rukia noticed it. _Yes, something happened. She knows exactly what I'm talking about, too._

Orihime nodded hesitantly. "Yes. But I guess you mean when Kurosaki-kun got upset with the captains?"

"That's exactly what I'm referring to." Rukia looked her square in the eye and said, "Inoue, do you know your reiatsu actually disappeared for a minute when that happened?"

The spoon clattered into the bowl as Orihime dropped it in shock. "_What_?"

"It's true. The only reason no one panicked was because we could see you were there and were fine." Especially after just rescuing her, Rukia was glad she had been in the same room or she would have fallen apart in terror. "When it happened, you looked sort of…" Rukia swayed from side to side, mimicking the dazed, happy look Orihime had. "…happy."

"Oh." Orihime's cheeks stained red. Her eyes drifted upwards to the ceiling, her hair cascading back. "I was happy."

Tonight was turning out one surprise after another. "You were?"

"It was odd." Orihime rested her eyes on Rukia, smiling to herself. "I was worried, and then he looked at me and I felt calm. I felt warm and fuzzy here," She rubbed a circle on her stomach, "and I wanted to just stay there, feeling all wrapped up and peaceful."

_Wrapped up. "Like a blanket" is how Ishida proposed it worked. I guess he was right. _"So, that's what happened. Shinji, Urahara, and a few of us noticed it and we were sort of worried."

"I'm so sorry. I thought I was going insane when it happened."

"You weren't. Ichigo used reihei on you." And before Orihime could ask, judging from the blank look of bewilderment in her features, Rukia explained to her what Shinji told them about the technique.

Orihime frowned in concentration when Rukia finished. "That would explain it then. I didn't even think of checking my own reiatsu."

"It wasn't something I would have thought of, either."

Orihime took a sip from her tea. "Does Kurosaki-kun know what happened?"

_Not yet. _Rukia shook her head. "No, but Sado will be talking to him at some point to see what was going on with him when it happened." This was followed by a heavy sigh. "I wish him luck with that."

A small gong from the clock in the living room resounded into the kitchen. Rukia glanced behind her and was surprised to see the microwave clock read '9 P.M'. "Wow, it got late fast." She rose to her feet. "I better get back to the clinic. I kept you up enough as is."

"We do have school tomorrow," Orihime remembered as she awkwardly got on her feet, nearly stumbling as she walked out of the kitchen.

They met at the door after Rukia grabbed her coat, Orihime beaming as she clasped her hands together in front of her. "Thank you again, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia was about to bid her good-night when a thought struck her. "Rukia."

Orihime blinked. "Huh?"

"If you're not comfortable with that, at least call me Kuchiki or Kuchiki-chan or something." With everything they talked about that night and in light of all she learned about Orihime, Rukia felt that their months-old friendship was past that. "We've known each other a little too long to be stuck in the formal, I think."

A deep emotion stirred in Orihime's eyes. She reached out and took Rukia's hands in hers and squeezed. "Really?"

"Really." Tonight she felt like she had started to fully understand Orihime and perhaps one night, Orihime would come to understand her. There were issues and stories that Rukia felt ready to talk about. But all in good time.

"Okay, Rukia-chan." Orihime suddenly put on a mock stern face. "And in return, you can call me Orihime."

Rukia laughed heartily. "You bet, Orihime. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she shrugged on her coat.

Orihime nodded. "See you tomorrow at school."

Rukia began to walk out the door, but paused just as she opened it. "Oh, one last thing." Her brow winged up and she smiled slyly. "I heard about your date with him in December."

She could only imagine what was running through Orihime's head as her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a perfect little "O". "We're just going as friends, though."

What was it with those two and being in denial? "Don't be silly! He specifically wanted to ask you," she stated, purposely leaving out the reason why he did, "and he was in such a hurry after school today to ask you." Eyeing her friend, she cocked her head to the side. "So, are you sure about that?"

To her mild surprise, Orihime nodded. "I'm glad he wanted to ask me, but I'm his friend, that's all. He even told me he thought I'd like a nice night out after what I've gone through."

In that moment, Rukia realized that Orihime and Ichigo had something unexpected in common: when pushed to it, they were excellent at being in denial and not reading the other's feelings. _But then, isn't it common to be blind when the person you love is involved? _She sighed and smiled weakly. "You can say that, after everything that's happened?" she said.

"What do you mean?"

Rukia shook her head. "You'll see for yourself." She swung open the door, and before Orihime could stop her or ask, she was outside, walking into the quiet darkness.

* * *

At 2 A.M, Isshin opened his eyes to a dark room. He frowned at the digital alarm clock on his nightstand, the neon green numbers brightly spelling out 2:00 in the heavy darkness. He climbed out of bed, still unsure as to why he had woken up and quietly made his way downstairs.

He glanced around at the bottom of the stairs. He couldn't sense any reiatsu aside from Rukia and his children's, and he heard no telltale signs of someone trying to break in. He slowly stepped away from the stairs and went to go switch on a light when he heard the distinct sound of wooden sandals clopping outside the back door.

"Kisuke." Isshin sighed, half in annoyance and half in relief, as he hurried towards the back door. He glanced out, and even in the darkness could vaguely make out Urahara's figure. Gently sliding open the door, he raised an eyebrow. "Bit late for a social call."

"I was hoping you might still be awake, but I realize it was a slim chance." Urahara shrugged innocently.

Isshin frowned slightly. "Why are _you _even awake?"

Urahara glanced to the side. "To be honest, I'm having a bit of a sleepless night. Decided to take a walk to clear my head and I wound up here. I thought you might like an update, anyway."

Odd time to be getting one, Isshin thought, but he supposed it was better than nothing. "All right. Are they training yet?"

Urahara shook his head. "Not yet. They're giving Ichigo some time to catch up on school."

Isshin chuckled. "How thoughtful of them."

"Well, they're in no rush, so why not?"

He nodded and leaned against the door. "I guess. I still wish they all took it more seriously. I haven't seen this form but really, wiping the floor with a high ranking Espada…"

Urahara shrugged. "I have a feeling once they see it that they'll take it more seriously. Until then, all we can do is wait." He twirled his cane and propped his body against the wall of the clinic. "They'd get suspicious if I asked them to hurry it up."

Isshin was all too aware, and he knew Urahara's hands were as tied as his in the matter. "It might only be a matter of time," he said, his voice low. "If they're searching for me and they got wind of that…"

His long-time friend looked at him and frowned in concern. "You've managed to avoid them for twenty years."

"And my luck will run out someday." They would find him, somehow. He knew them too well. Twenty years meant very little to those he once worked with. "Ichigo would be the perfect weapon to use against me."

Urahara winced. Isshin was mildly surprised to see him looked so disconcerted and perhaps even genuinely worried. "Yoruichi-san and I will keep an eye out and an ear to the ground."

"Thanks. The more the merrier." Isshin looked up to the sky and inhaled deeply. He wanted to let Ichigo stand for himself, to be strong without his help. It was why Ichigo still didn't know the truth about him or his past. Against _them, _however, it was an entirely different matter. He admitted he wasn't the greatest father out there, but no father who loved his son would let him face them down alone. If they did come one day to ruin his life in retribution for what he had done, Isshin swore that he would fight back.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry! This chapter gave me some headaches, along with just losing willpower to write at one or two points. But it's here! And I've started Chapter 6, and my contest entry is done, so the next chapter should come up much faster, granted I get it done before school starts next week. Ick.

Major thanks again to everyone who reviewed, and to my beta-reader, **PerennialLurker**. She puts up with a lot.

This is one of the shorter chapters, although not real short. This chapter's reward for reviews is a Chad plushie! There's not enough love for the guy, there really isn't, and because there isn't, it was really hard to write from his POV. Damn you, Kubo.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Man to man_

The next morning, at Karakura High, Orihime, Ichigo, Ishida, and Sado were gathered around in a circle in their classroom. They seemed oblivious to the world around them – Orihime was so focused on the paper in her hand that she didn't notice Chizuru's hand creeping over her shoulder, and Ichigo made no response to Keigo's repeated questions. They were utterly silent until Tatsuki walked briskly in.

Seeing their horrified expressions, she hurried over to them, and peered over Orihime's shoulder. "Hey, what's – _whoa._"

She took a step back in trepidation. "Damn. Are those your missed assignments?"

Ishida's face pinched as if he was in pain, and he swallowed forcefully. "Unfortunately, yes." He dropped the small stack of papers onto a nearby desk, and collapsed into a chair. "This will take weeks. On top of the other homework we are receiving, we need to complete all of these missed assignments." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I knew the list would be long, but seeing it makes it so much worse."

"Six. Pages," Ichigo enunciated each word as his grip tightened on the packet. "And here I was thinking that Shinji giving me a few weeks to catch up was too much."

Tatsuki put her hands on her hips, and scratched an itch on her leg with her foot as she thought something over. "Well," she stated after a few moments, "why don't you four get together as a study group? All of you are in the top 25 of the class, so if you put your heads together, you should be able to get through all of the assignments easily."

Sado nodded appreciatively. "Sounds good. We could meet a different house each day, plus weekends."

"Not at my house," Ichigo said quickly. His shoulders hunched when Ishida and Tatsuki frowned at him. "Oh, come on. Three of you have seen my dad. We'll never get any work done between the clinic stuff, his antics, and my sisters."

"Hmph. Ichigo just doesn't like us."

Ichigo scowled heavily as he turned around to see Rukia standing behind him, wearing a cheesy grin. "Shut up. You of all people should understand. There's no way I'm bringing Ishida, Chad, or Inoue there."

He placed a slight emphasis on "Inoue", and Rukia frowned for a moment before understanding what he meant. Her grin became slightly amused as she realized that the last thing Ichigo would want to do was bring home the girl he walked home the day before, especially if he didn't want his family getting the wrong idea. She backpedaled furiously. "Ah, um, true. I have a hard time concentrating there, too."

Ochi-sensei kicked open the door, and hollered at everyone to get into their seats. As everyone made the daily scramble back to their desks, Rukia noticed that Shinji's desk was empty.

_Wait a second. Why isn't he here? I understand why Hitsugaya-taichou's not here, _she looked over at the captain's vacant seat, _but why wouldn't Shinji be here? Especially the day after he asks us to do something for him? _she sighed, and fixed her skirt before sitting down at her desk. _I'll just have to tell him what I learned from Orihime tomorrow. _She was annoyed by his absence, but her focus on the lesson soon made her forget about him.

* * *

While Rukia learned about the Edo period, the school-skipping Vizard, who would have given Rukia much more accurate information than her teacher, having lived through the period as a human and a shinigami, was down in Urahara's training ground. Wearing his usual attire of a buttoned-up shirt, slacks, tie, and tweed cap, Shinji seemed to have no intention of going to school that day.

Part of the reason he was skipping was because he was seeing off his friends. Most of the other Vizards were bound for Soul Society that morning, where they would be extensively investigating the mystery surrounding Ichigo, Orihime, and their inexplicable bond for the next couple of weeks.

He smiled internally at the glum expressions around him. Even Riza and Rose, both true bibliophiles, seemed unenthusiastic at the thought of pouring over books and wandering around in the Great Spirit Library, which housed over a million volumes, and extended underground for a radius of a mile, with kidou wards and traps guarding the more dangerous sections, all the while looking for references to a phenomenon that, at best, might only have been experienced by ten or so individuals in the Soul Society's long history. Most of the Vizards were sure they wouldn't find anything.

But they had to try.

Rose stifled a yawn, and Kensei rubbed his half-closed eyes. Shinji chuckled as everyone struggled in some way to stay awake. If going to school had done any good for him, it was in making him more of a morning person. He was well used to the early hours, unlike his companions.

"Here we go."

Everyone stood to attention as Urahara got up from his crouching position. The senkaimon he was preparing opened. "This will lead you to the west Rukongai. Kyouraku-taichou told me that his vice-captain will be waiting for you at the gate." He tipped his hat, and stepped out of the way. "Good luck."

Love cracked his knuckles, and tucked his zanpakutou into his belt. "Let's get this started," he glanced back at Shinji. "You gonna be all right?"

Shinji waved his hand dismissively. "I'll be fine. I'll keep ya guys updated on those two, and whatever else goes down."

As the six of them moseyed towards the gate, Yoruichi leaned against a large rock and watched them approach. Before they could start to enter, she asked, "What exactly do you plan on finding?"

Riza looked over at Yoruichi. "Not much, if anything, but it's worth a shot."

The former captain nodded, and stretched out her back. "You never know. I imagine Kyouraku and Ukitake will be helping you figure out how to work the circuits, so you should be okay." She began to turn, but suddenly stopped mid-way. "And oh, a piece of advice: try not to expect anything obvious. Sometimes, storytellers tell more about the past than history books do."

Rose nodded to her. "An interesting note. We'll definitely bear that in mind."

She nodded back, and fell silent as they stood in front of the senkaimon. Shinji slowly began backpedaling, exchanging a few glances with the others. "Knock yerselves out."

"Right, when I bash a book into my head out of insanity," Hiyori muttered.

Kensei snorted lightly. "I hear you. If I don't get the urge to wreck the place by the end of this, I'll be amazed." He motioned for the others. They turned around to give their comrades one last silent good-bye, nodding to them before they walked into the open gate, and disappeared into the white light.

* * *

Walking out into the bright, sunny afternoon, Orihime breathed a sigh of relief. She still felt overwhelmed whenever she tried to pay attention to the lessons, but she knew that starting tomorrow, she could finally begin to catch up.

She, Ishida, Ichigo, and Sado all agreed to begin their study group sessions the next day at Ishida's house. There were butterflies in her belly at the thought of spending a lot of time within close proximity with Ichigo, but then she reminded herself that Sado and Ishida would also be there, and her stomach settled. It wasn't like she would be _alone _with Ichigo.

_How strange. I feel apprehensive about being alone with him, but knowing that I won't be disappoints me a little. Hmmm… _she glanced skyward, and sighed heavily. _I'm a little bummed that I can't go to Kurosaki-kun's house either, but I guess if Kuchik- er, Rukia-chan agreed that we shouldn't go…_

As she began walking down the stairs, she smiled. _Rukia-chan kept giving me strange smiles all day. I guess she's glad she finally knows what's really going on. Everyone was so surprised when we addressed each other informally, but they didn't seem to mind otherwise. _

She recalled lunch, when everyone first heard her call Rukia by her first name. Though everyone was surprised, only Chizuru was upset, but only because she was afraid that Rukia was aiming to "take her Orihime-chan from her." Rukia managed to persuade Chizuru that she wasn't, but not before she said, "_I'm _not the one you should be worried about."

That statement had bothered Orihime the rest of the day, even after Rukia later told her she was completely kidding. _I want to believe her but, lately, I don't know. Shinji-kun, Rukia-chan… they've all-_

She came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the steps when she spotted Hitsugaya in the distance, donned in his shihakusho. He was staring straight at her. Their gazes locked, and he jerked his head to the side, a beckon for her to follow him. He began to walk away from the school, and Orihime tried to look nonchalant as she followed him from a distance, trying to keep up without making it look like she was following someone.

Where she was clumsy, Hitsugaya was agile. He had little trouble dodging people and objects littered on the streets, while Orihime struggled not to trip or fall. She apologized profusely to everyone she bumped or stumbled into. Luckily, Hitsugaya must have realized her plight, because his pace eventually slowed down, and he was more careful of where he stepped.

He led her through the streets and straight into a wooded area right outside of town. She cautiously treaded through the undergrowth, keeping in mind her permanent lack of balance as she pushed aside tree branches and continued following after Hitsugaya. Eventually, they entered a small clearing, and he stopped.

"Sorry to lead you out so far, Inoue-san" were the first words out of his mouth as he turned to face her. "But, I wasn't sure if it was all right to use your home as a meeting place."

Orihime plucked a stray twig out of her hair. "Ah, it's fine! I was expecting to talk to you at some point, anyway." She smiled knowingly at him. "I imagine you want to talk to me about lodging?"

He scratched his head, and looked away sheepishly. "Partly, yes. But," his guilty look turned into one of concern, "not just for me."

She nodded. "Rangiku-san will be coming as well?"

"Later," he said, "after she recovers. Matsumoto was injured in the last confrontation, and she'll be recuperating for a few weeks, I believe."

_R-Rangiku-san? Injured? _Orihime swallowed, beating back the worried tone in her voice as she said, "Oh. Were her injuries serious?"

The captain smiled softly, perhaps trying to look reassuring. "It wasn't pretty, but Matsumoto is tough. She's taken worse beatings before. She was being her usual annoying self when I talked to her yesterday evening, so she'll be all right." He chuckled derisively. "She'll be here, driving us insane before you know it."

Orihime wished she could go to Soul Society to treat her injured friend, but it seemed like she would have to leave her in Unohana's hands. Not that she didn't trust the fourth division captain, but she would have felt better going to Soul Society and healing Matsumoto herself. It was a small bane of being a healer, she supposed. "I hope she recovers quickly. It hasn't been the same without the two of you around." She smiled brightly. "I still have your futons, and I can set them back up tonight and have them ready for you tomor-"

Hitsugaya didn't like asking big favors of anyone, and Orihime wasn't surprised at his hesitance. Still, his increasingly guilty look told her there was something else. "Hitsugaya-taichou?"

He sighed. "Inoue-san, I…" Teeth gritted, he struggled internally, and Orihime said nothing until he spoke again. "Yumichika and Ikkaku aren't going to be sent back this time. They're sending a vice-captain in place of them."

It didn't take long for her to put two and two together and figure out what Hitsugaya was trying to tell her. "Oh! I can lodge a third person. It might be a little cramped in the apartment, but we can fit someone in! I don't mind at all."

"I know you don't, but this vice-captain… she's an old friend of mine. Her name is Hinamori Momo, and she was Aizen's vice-captain."

Hinamori. It was a name she heard Matsumoto talk about once. Orihime knew two things about Momo – that she nearly died because of Aizen, and that his betrayal had taken a huge toll on her. "Rangiku-san mentioned her once. I don't know a lot of the details, but I heard Hinamori-fukutaichou is sort of in a bad way."

"To put it lightly." There was something in his eyes; a tightness in the corners, and an unreadable pain. Orihime's heart recoiled from the depth of that feeling. "She's hanging on by a thin thread. She's- she's not that stable. If you-"

She shook her head. "No. Please, she's welcome at my home. I'm not going to turn her away, not when she needs help." She crossed her arms, and her tone was final, although there was still a soft smile on her face. "When are you coming?" she asked, not leaving him any room for arguing.

Hitsugaya bowed his head, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Thank you, Inoue-san. We'll be sent here tomorrow night."

"Hmm. That'll give me time to set up. And- oh! I could make a special dinner! Do you think she'll like that?"

Hitsugaya probably knew better than to ask Orihime just what she had in mind for a "special dinner." Even if their stomachs would dread the meal, it was the thought that counted. "Yes. She would love that," he answered, looking back up at her.

Orihime nodded enthusiastically, already mentally going through her list of recipes. "I'll give it my best effort. And, um," she smiled shyly, "I don't know her, or claim to know how she's feeling, but… if I can help at all, let me know?"

She didn't understand the surprise that flashed in his eyes, but before she could mull over it, he nodded. "Thank you, again," he sighed quietly, "Normally, I'd tell you not to worry, but, I think Hinamori is going to need all the help she can get."

* * *

To say that Sado was out of his element would be a gross understatement. Actually sitting down with Ichigo, in an attempt to discuss something that was mysterious and potentially awkward was not something he considered himself to be good at. He and Ichigo bonded through silence, actions, and the occasional few words. Those words were, more often than not, spoken by Ichigo.

He didn't know how to go about the task he volunteered for, but he said he would do it, and he would see it through. His first course of action, after managing to get Ichigo to agree to hang out with him, was to go for some kakigori. His goal was to get his thoughts together while eating the syrup-coated ice shavings. That, and he had a strange urge for some.

The friends said very little to each other as they ate their kakigori on a bench in the nearby park. Ichigo was busy savoring his cherry-flavored ice, giving Sado ample time to figure out how he wanted to start off the conversation. He spent several minutes deliberately taking his time in eating his melon-flavored ice. He rolled the shavings around in his mouth and sucked on the sweet syrup. He was delaying the inevitable, but he mentally reasoned that he was doing so in better preparation for it.

He was halfway through his cup of kakigori when he finally gathered his wits and decided to begin. He took a deep breath, and said, "Ichigo?"

"Yo."

Sado paused, shifting his ice around with his spoon. "There's something I need to ask you."

Ichigo nodded, scooping out some of his kakigori. "Ask away."

Sado toyed with the cup on his lap, struggling to recall the words he had planned out. "Remember a few days ago, when the captains came to thank us in Urahara's training ground, and then you got upset with them?"

He wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not at the sudden defensive tone in Ichigo's voice. "Yeah. What of it?"

_So he does know. _Since Ichigo didn't provide any explanation for his behavior towards the captains, Sado had questioned whether or not Ichigo really knew what he was doing at the time. It wasn't very unlike of his friend to act rashly and not realize it. "Ichigo, what happened?" He looked over at his best friend.

Ichigo stared down at his kakigori, rotating the white cup in his hands. "I don't know, but it was probably my inner Hollow acting up."

Sado shook his head. "Your reiatsu spiked, but it was still normal. No Hollow."

The spinning cup froze as Ichigo glanced over at him, his expression alarmed. "What?"

That was the reason for no explanation. Ichigo had already formed his own explanation and written it off as something else. "I've felt your reiatsu when you use your Hollow powers. Nothing like that happened."

Ichigo looked back down at his cup. Sado could see his grip on the cup tighten as his fingers broke through the Styrofoam. "So, it was all me, you're saying."

It was as Sado feared: this was going to be a strange, awkward, and now embarrassing conversation. Words seemed pointless, so he merely nodded.

His friend hung his head. "Shit."

While he didn't want to make it worse, he had to tell him, "Rukia said you had this, uh, possessive look when Inoue looked at you."

"Double shit."

Sado sighed, and refrained from smacking his palm onto his forehead. "Sorry. Some of us noticed it, and we just wanted to know what happened." If it hadn't been for the strange events that took place the day before that incident occurred, Sado wouldn't have paid much mind to it. But Shinji asked him, and he really did wonder what was going on, so he had to question Ichigo. "I don't like prying, but we're concerned. Honestly."

Ichigo blew out a breath. "It's all right," he murmured. "I'm just surprised they told _you_ to talk to me."

Sado half smiled. "It was a mutual agreement. I don't think Abarai or Ishida would approach you the right way, and Kuchiki's idea of getting you to talk is to beat it out of you. Besides," he shrugged, "she was going to talk to Inoue about it."

Ichigo's fist suddenly slammed into the bench. "That damn lying, demonic midget! I knew she was up to something!"

Completely clueless as to what he was referring to, Sado blinked.

Ichigo mumbled something under his breath, and then shook his head. "Er, nevermind. Anyway, uh, right. Inoue. Training ground." He ground his teeth together, and hissed a breath. "I don't know what to tell you.

"I remember getting pissed at the captains for using Inoue and us like they did." His eyes gradually closed as he recalled what happened. "Then I just – I don't know. This strange, foreign rage just built up in me. It was like – it seemed like…"

Sado waited patiently and didn't say a word as Ichigo beat the heel of his hand into his forehead, like he was trying to force the memory to turn into words. "My instincts told me the captains were a threat. I had to hide Inoue, even though it was impossible. I remember thinking that I didn't want them near her, and suddenly, Inoue said something to me."

Once he stopped hitting himself, he rested his forehead on his open palm. "I looked at her, and I thought, 'I have to protect her. She looks so helpless. How can anyone ever do anything against _my _Orihime?'"

Sado nearly did a double-take. He was tempted to ask, but he instead decided that perhaps saying nothing would urge Ichigo to continue. He grunted incredulously, but said nothing further.

His companion snorted softly. "I realized what I was thinking, and that's when I snapped out of it. I honestly don't think of her like that, so that's why I chalked it up as my Hollow's doing." He opened his eyes, and glanced wearily at Sado. "It was so weird. I – I should have apologized, but I didn't know what to say."

Sado glanced away uneasily. "Inoue was acting strangely, too. That's why Kuchiki talked to her last night. It wasn't justyou."

Ichigo tossed his forgotten kakigori into the trash bin next to him. "I don't know whether to be relieved or worried by that." He stood up, stretching his back before picking up his school bag. "I just don't get it."

Sado threw away his kakigori as well, and got up from his seat shortly after Ichigo did. He gave his friend a questioning glance.

"Me. Inoue. All of this. Why me? Why her? Why now? I…" Ichigo looked off into the distance, clutching his bag tightly in his fist. "I don't know what I'm feeling, and I'm not sure if I should be worried or – or if I even want to fight it. Or if I even _should._"

Because he didn't have answers for him, Sado merely clapped Ichigo on the shoulder, and nodded to him: wordless support.

So, once again, with the discussion over and done with, silence enveloped the two. They walked side by side, not one of them uttering a word, but yet, enjoying the blissful, peaceful quiet.

Sado didn't know what would lay in store for Ichigo as they uncovered more about his bond with Orihime. He wasn't sure what they would find out, or what the repercussions would be. He resigned himself to this, knowing there was nothing he could do to change it. For the time being, he would simply be Ichigo's support. He would always have his back, whether it be against any foe, threat, or force.

Or even the painful truth.

* * *

Orihime had just skipped away, rambling on about the ingredients she needed to buy for tomorrow night's special dinner (which would give Hitsugaya an ulcer, he was sure of it) when his phone went off.

He hadn't been expecting any calls. Frowning quizzically, he pulled out his communicator, and with a quick movement of his thumb, flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hitsugaya."

"_Ah! So prompt! I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."_

The young captain blinked, and his face was blank in surprise. "…Ukitake?"

"_Yes. Sorry for such an unexpected call, but something's come up."_

A little part of Hitsugaya hoped that they changed their minds about Hinamori, but he knew he would have no such luck. Whatever it was that happened, he felt no reason to worry. Ukitake sounded laidback and calm over the line, so he was sure he had no reason not to be, either. "A development?" he asked.

"_That's probably the best way to describe it. We had-" _He paused. There were other, muted voices in the background. Hitsugaya couldn't make out what Ukitake was saying, and all he could do was wait until the elder captain finished. A minute later, he came back on the line. "_Sorry about that. I was asked to inform you that a senkaimon gate will be opened near your location in a few minutes. Now, since we're a tad short on time, I'll make a long story short and give you details later. We had a small group of shinigami from the secret remote squad investigate a major Hollow disturbance in a town near Karakura." _

He cleared his throat. "_While they were scouting, they spotted Tousen."_

"T-Tousen?" Hitsugaya sputtered in surprise. He became quickly annoyed at himself for losing his cool, and took a moment to reign in his shock before speaking again. "What was he doing there, do they know?"

Ukitake chuckled lightly. "_I said the same thing. We weren't expecting to see them so soon. To answer your question, no. We think he might have been the reason behind the disturbance. When he saw the group, he made a quick exit through a Garganta."_

Well, that answered the most pressing question regarding the two traitors. "So, they've been in Hueco Mundo all along. What's our initiative?"

"_Well, allow me to quote what Zaraki suggested:" _His voice deepened to imitate Kenpachi._ "'Let them stay there and rot.'" _He coughed, and Hitsugaya heard him pound against something, most likely his chest. _"Ugh, still recovering from that cold. Anyway, I'm not too keen on the 'rotting' part, but for the time being, we have no choice but to watch and wait. There's no telling what we'd run into if we tried to confront them in Hueco Mundo. Right now, we can't afford to take many risks."_

"I understand. In that case, I'll contact Abarai once I return to Soul Society and tell him to spread the word. Although, I have a feeling they're avoiding Karakura for the time being."

He couldn't see it, but he was sure Ukitake was probably nodding in agreement. "_I don't see why they would go near the town right now. We might be in disarray, but having shinigami stationed there, plus Shinji, Kurosaki and the humans, it'd be…"_

"Suicidal?" Hitsugaya suggested.

"_Aha, that works, too. Right, I've kept you long enough. Please do inform Abarai-fukutaichou about this, and signal the alert. With us having spotted him, I doubt Tousen will make a move, nor Ichimaru." _Ukitake sighed. _"Still, better safe than sorry._

"_The gate will open at any moment. I know you'll be busy the rest of the day, but I hope to give you more details tomorrow. If not, well, what are communicators for? Take care, Hitsugaya."_

"You, too. Oh, Ukitake. Before you go, I wanted to ask." Hitsugaya ran a hand through his hair. "Any change with the soutaichou? I've been so busy with everything else, I forgot to check in on that."

"…_No, I'm afraid not. He's not getting worse, though. Just not better."_

Hitsugaya cursed under his breath, although the news wasn't a surprise. "I was afraid of that."

Even over the phone, he could hear the infinite patience Ukitake seemed to posses in his tone. "_It's going to be hard without him, temporary or permanent. But we'll be okay. Shunsui and Unohana are handling it pretty well. The rest of us are doing everything we can to support them. And the human world will be fine. Between you, three fukutaichou, Kuchiki, Ichigo and the talented humans, Urahara and those at the Shouten, and Shinji's group, there's nothing to worry about."_

The tenth squad's leader kept quiet, casting his eyes to the ground. _But isn't that when things happen, when you _think _you're safe? It happened last time, didn't it?_

"_Hitsugaya?"_

He shook his head. Maybe it was paranoia. But anxiousness or not…

"Er, sorry. Spaced out. I'm sure you're right. We'll be fine," he lied.

This time, he would not be letting his guard down.

* * *

Interestingly, many who resided in Karakura Town seemed to have a reason to keep their guard up. Urahara and Yoruichi always seemed to be ready for something, the Vizards always had their guards up for seemingly everything, and the shinigami who were stationed in the town did as well, although for solely professional reasons.

Ichigo did, too. Not because he was sensing for Hollows, or because he was being hunted. His reason had everything to do with his inner Hollow, and making sure he remained "the king," as his Hollow once put it.

Although Ichigo was the one in control, his inner Hollow still existed in his soul. Ichigo was only made aware of what it said and did when it _wanted _him to know what it was saying and doing. Otherwise, the Hollow could run around in a pink tutu and Ichigo would be none the wiser.

Such was the case that night. As Ichigo slept, he was oblivious to the temper tantrum the Hollow was throwing in Zangetsu's world. If he could hear him, he'd been up all night to the sound of glass smashing and buildings being toppled.

"'I don't know what I'm feeling,' he says. 'I don't know if I should be worried or if I even want to fight it,' he said. _That goddamn idiot! Of course _you should be fighting it!"

The Hollow launched a Getsuga Tenshou at another hapless skyscraper. It ripped through the structure, slicing the top half off and sending the rest of it crumbling.

The Hollow's chest was heaving; clearly, he had been on a rampage for quite some time. It stabbed the end of its sword into the ground, and leaned against it as support. While its energy level was running how, its anger and rage seemed to be limitless.

"Going on a wrecking spree will do nothing."

The Hollow cursed vehemently. Was his strength so low, it wondered, that that stupid old man was able to come out? It jerked its head towards Zangetsu, and sneered. "Shut up. It's not like I have anything fucking better to do."

Zangetsu looked away from it, glancing out over the destruction the Hollow wrought. "It'll just repair itself."

"All the more reason I can do it," it said.

The avatar sighed. "Even you will realize in time that it's just a pointless and futile exercise." He paused, and then casted his gaze back to the Hollow. "I know you loathe the situation, and to be honest, it's concerning me as well, but we both must accept it."

The snarl the Hollow let loose echoed through the world. "You're _concerned_?" he asked mockingly.

Zangetsu frowned at the Hollow. "Interesting. I thought you'd love the chaos this has wrought."

This was answered with another Getsuga, this time aimed just above the man's head. It flew over him, and demolished yet another building. "Not if I can't enjoy it. Not if it affects me like this. I don't get to – the King-"

The Hollow clenched its free hand into a tight fist. "I. Can't. Hate. Her. I _want _to, that damn br – br - grrrrrr…"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'broad,' I assume?"

It flung its hands into the air, sending its sword flying in some indiscriminate direction. "I can't even call her any names! She did this to us, and I can't hate her because of _him_! Every time I want to hate her, every time I want to spit on her name and yearn to see her torn to shreds, I can't!" It began stomping around, kicking anything that was in the way. "I want to protect that girl as much as he does, even though she pisses me off, or she _should _be pissing me off! Ever since King and I went into that form, we-"

Zangetsu raised his brow. "Did you think that unleashing your full Hollow powers and combining them with Ichigo wouldn't have consequences? You know what it requires, to be a full Hollow. What did you think would happen when you assumed a full Hollow form?"

"Nothing like what did happen!" the Hollow snapped. "How the hell was I supposed to know that would happen and she'd be able to stop us, and that everything would be happening this fast?"

"It's the risk you took. What happened in Las Noches is neither your fault, Ichigo's fault, nor Inoue's fault. She did not ask for this to happen, either," Zangetsu reminded him sternly. "What's done is done. While it may cause problems for the both of us, it is unavoidable. Their fates are interwoven, and their bond grows stronger by the day. It's only a matter of time before-"

"Don't." The Hollow glared fiercely at the avatar. "Don't even say it. If the King does… _that_… I'm screwed. I probably won't even be mad that I can't _be_ mad anymore. That woman, she's just-"

Orihime's image appeared in its mind. It was the most vivid one it had of her, the moment when she appeared behind it on the dome, tearful and pleading. As other thoughts of her flooded its memory, its glare softened into a pensive frown.

"'She's just'?" Zangetsu pressed.

The Hollow shook its head. "Something else" was all it could muster, with its energy suddenly drained and its anger dying down. In an uncharacteristic moment of passiveness, the Hollow glanced over at Zangetsu, and quietly asked, "It's going to happen, isn't it?"

The zanpakutou could only nod.

"That's what I get for letting King have reign," it muttered.

Zangetsu slowly began to walk forward towards the Hollow. "Using your beloved metaphor, for every king, there is a queen. We may not have a choice in the matter, but Inoue Orihime is a gentle soul. She takes better care of Ichigo than anyone." He stopped in front of the Hollow, a confused frown suddenly etched into his expression. He sighed, and pointed at something behind the Hollow.

It turned its head, wondering what the hell Zangetsu could be pointing at, considering there was nothing but skyscrapers in their world.

The Hollow almost didn't see what he was pointing at, until something glistened at the edge of a nearby building. Curiosity piqued, it flash-stepped over to the object, and knelt down next to it. The object was small, it mentally noted. There was a stem that sprouted from a miniscule crack on top of the building, which then seemingly disappeared over the edge of the roof. The Hollow leaned over the side of the skyscraper to get a better look.

If it had a heart, it would have stopped dead in its chest.

On the end of that stem was a flower. Specifically, a six-petal flower, very much like a hibiscus. It was also silver-blue, and had a metallic sheen that glinted in the sunlight: an exact replica of the hairpins that Orihime wore.

Before the Hollow could fully get back up on his feet and tell Zangetsu what he saw, a searing pain on his hand nearly caused him to fall off the roof in surprise. The Hollow threw itself back and away from the edge, and sputtered out curses as it gripped its aching hand. When the pain dulled, he hesitantly lifted his good hand to examine the damage.

He had been branded. Branded with a flower on the top of his hand. He jerked his head towards Zangetsu, who was gingerly examining his hand. Agitated, the Hollow flash-stepped back to Zangetsu, and raised his burned hand. "This is goin' too far," he spat.

The zanpakutou lifted his hand, also branded with a six-petal flower. "This," he said with a concerned frown, "is only the beginning."


	6. Chapter 6

Don't get too used to this semi-fast update (I consider it fast. It hasn't even been two weeks!)

Thanks again to all of my reviewers, especially those who review every chapter. While I like it when people favorite/alert my stories, reviews are the best thing you can give to an author, even if it's a simple little "Nice story." Mucho respect and thanks to PL, the beta. She's the one who makes sure this fic doesn't get too crazy or nonsensical!

I'm not going to say what this chapter's reward for reviews is until the end. I don't want to ruin the surprise appearance in the last scene. Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_In those few weeks_

Ichigo never understood why the few hours he spent in Hueco Mundo felt like ages, but the past few weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. Granted, he hadn't been fighting powerful Arrancar, trying to save a friend, and wondering in the back of his mind if he would get out alive. So much had happened in those few hours he supposed that it felt like it took days.

A lot had also happened in the past few weeks, but nothing compared to the scale of Hueco Mundo. His time had been spent, instead, doing piles of homework, regaining lost time with his family and friends, and just trying to find a sense of normalcy.

When he first arrived back to Karakura, and returned to school, he felt like he was just _posing_ as a student, much like Rukia and the rest of the shinigami. His life had been so interrupted, and he had gotten so far behind, he didn't feel like he belonged there. But when he dropped the last pile of his missed homework on Ochi-sensei's desk three weeks after his return, he finally felt like a real student again.

He was no mind reader, but he guessed Ishida, Sado, and Inoue felt the same as they relieved themselves of their assignments and laid them on the sensei's desk. Ochi raised her brow, and smirked in satisfaction. "Nice job. This is the last of them?"

Ishida nodded. "Yes. I hate to mention this, but surely we missed tests, quizzes, and the like."

She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm going to let those slide. Given your… special circumstances, I got it cleared with the school to let you pass on them."

Relief flooded Ichigo like a tidal wave. "Thanks, sensei."

"It's fine. Just try not to be gone for so long, if there is a next time. It's not easy getting that cleared."

Orihime bit her lower lip lightly, looking slightly abashed as she bowed her head. "Ah, we're sorry, Ochi-sensei. We didn't mean for it to happen."

Ichigo compulsively leaned towards her, driven by a need to comfort her. "Hey, it's all right. No one thought we'd be gone for so long. It isn't anyone's fault." Except for Aizen and his scheming, maybe.

Ishida turned his head away, hiding some expression he didn't want Ichigo to see.

Ochi blinked confusedly. "Eh? I didn't mean it like that. Just, warn me next time or something. Plan ahead. Anyway, I'll get these assignments graded and back to you in time."

They nodded to her before turning to go to their seats. Orihime smiled warmly at Ichigo as he followed her over to her desk. "We're free, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Finally," he muttered in assent. He leaned against a desk as Orihime sat down in hers. "I have no idea what to do with all this free time."

He almost expected her to make some joke or a light tease. She was still smiling, but her eyes were scanning the immediate area around them. As she turned to talk to him, her voice lowered. "What about that training with Shinji-kun and the others?"

Ichigo scowled. He hadn't forgotten about it, but it wasn't something he wanted to jump into. The Vizards seemed to be in no rush to start, and quite frankly, he wasn't either. It was one thing to train to control his Hollow powers, since his sanity and life depended on it. This full Hollow form was something completely different. He didn't like using his Hollow powers at all, so he certainly wasn't giddy at the thought of trying to bring them out in full force.

"I'll talk to him about it later, after school. Maybe we can start Monday, to give us a few days off. It's only Wednesday today, right?" She nodded, and he continued, "Just relax for a few days, and then we can start." He paused. "If you're ready."

There was something cute about the determined look she had on her face, he noticed. "Yes, as long as you are." Her tiny hands clenched together into a tight, fisted ball. "We're going to figure this out, for your sake," she said, her voice tight as her gaze bore into his.

_Okay, maybe it's not just cute. It's… _He met her stare. _…powerful. _Unconsciously, he kneeled down until he was eye to eye with her, and, despite being in a classroom that was slowly filling with students, he smiled. "No, we're going to figure it out for both of us," he corrected her, hoping to sound as resolute as she was.

She flushed pink as she glanced down at her hands, hiding her smile. "Right. For both of us, then."

He seemed to take no notice that someone was behind him until they were practically leaning over him, and when they said, "Isn't this cozy?"

His face went beet red in an instant as he turned around, and came face to face with Tatsuki instead.

"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime said in surprise.

She smirked. "You might wanna get up, Ichigo. I just saw Chizuru down the hall. She catches you like this, she'll go on some flying rampage, thinking you're proposing to Orihime or something," she warned, although her tone was light. It wasn't like she couldn't just kick Chizuru out of the room if that happened.

Ichigo mumbled under his breath, nodding to Orihime before quickly getting up and hurrying off to his seat.

Both girls watched him walk away. Tatsuki shook her head in amusement before glancing down at Orihime. "What was that all about?" she asked with a slight smile.

Her friend looked shyly up at her, and laughed nervously. "Um, talk about it at lunch?"

Tatsuki smiled understandingly. "Talk about it at lunch" was a sort of code, meaning that the subject at hand couldn't be talked about in the open. Usually things "talked about at lunch" pertained to Soul Society, Hollows, or any other subjects related to the spirit world that the general populous wasn't mean to know about.

"You bet," Tatsuki assured her.

The bell rang, and Tatsuki made her way towards her desk. Just as the last pangs of the bell echoed through the building, Shinji stumbled into the room, half-asleep. Tatsuki frowned in concern as the Vizard shuffled to his desk, and collapsed into his chair. As she sat down in her own, she watched as Ichigo leaned over, and nudged Shinji with his elbow. "You okay?" he asked.

"Tired. Long night. Talk later." Those were the only words Shinji muttered before laying his head on his books, and falling asleep just as Ochi-sensei began checking attendance.

Tatsuki shook her head. _This is going to be an interesting lunch, _she thought, and wondered what the hell could have happened that would keep Shinji up so late, if not all night. While mindboggling, it was certainly more interesting to contemplate than trigonometry.

* * *

Unfortunately, come lunch time, Tatsuki was no closer to the truth, and no more knowledgeable in trigonometry. The only conclusion she could come to with confidence was that Shinji was incredibly tired. He slept through the first two periods, and remained in a zombie-like state up until lunch.

As she headed to her locker and grabbed her lunch, she kept Shinji in her peripheral, even as Orihime babbled on about a dream she had involving running pencils, dancing mugs, and a legion of apples trying to take over the world. She nodded along and refrained from rolling her eyes, but she couldn't help but keep glancing over at the Vizard. He seemed to take no notice of her, and instead just moved along sluggishly, tossing his books into his locker and yanking out his lunch.

Tatsuki didn't say anything to him, even when Orihime cheerily greeted him, and he half smiled in return. She was content to just watch and think, still trying to figure out what would have kept him up so late.

When they met the others on the rooftop, Orihime suddenly cried out in alarm. Tatsuki spun around instinctively, hands bunched. "What's wrong?"

"My lunch!" Orihime glanced behind her. "Where did it go?"

Tatsuki relaxed, although she felt like hitting her head against the wall. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even realize they hadn't stopped by Orihime's locker to get her lunch bag. "Orihime, I think we just forgot to-"

"It's the apples, Tatsuki-chan! They're going to take over the world by using my lunch as a weapon of mass destruction! They'll blow up Tokyo!" Orihime took off, blowing past Ichigo and Sado before she ran down the stairs.

Tatsuki sighed. "Only thing your lunch would blow up is someone's stomach," she muttered.

Ichigo looked down the stairs, understandably puzzled. "Did she say something about apples and blowing up Tokyo?"

Taking a bite from a stick of Pocky, Shinji stepped backwards until he was behind Ichigo. "Go after her," he said, before raising his foot and pushing Ichigo's back with it, sending him tumbling down the stairwell. "Who knows what she'll do if left alone."

Tatsuki wasn't sure whether to laugh or to send Shinji after Ichigo. She brushed past him, and leaned her head inside the stairwell. "You all right?" she shouted.

There was scuffling from below, and she heard a loud groan. "Damn it," Ichigo muttered, his voice echoing up the skinny stairwell. "I'm gonna kill him."

"I'll take that as a 'yes.' Look, if you don't mind, can you make sure Orihime doesn't at least decide to go after any stray apples?" Tatsuki asked.

A pause, and then, "All right." A door opened, and then slammed close from below.

Tatsuki turned around, and glared at Shinji, who was still working on his Pocky stick. "You're a dead man."

He smirked. "I already am by technical standards."

Having run out of patience and knowing he deserved it, Tatsuki strode over to him, and smacked him as hard as she could upside the head. Ignoring his curses and complaints, she dropped her lunch bag on her usual spot, and sat down. "So, what was that about?"

To her surprise, when she directed her gaze back at him, she caught him in a moment of unpreparedness. He looked a little baffled, before he coughed and looked away. "What? Someone had to go after her, and he was there."

Ishida pushed his glasses back. "You really are that tired. It's a little obvious you wanted to get rid of him. Has it anything to do with why you were up so late?"

Shinji sighed, and pulled out another Pocky stick. "Who am I kiddin'? Yeah, it does. Around midnight, I got a call from Riza."

Mizuiro and Keigo looked over at Rukia. She quickly lowered her voice, and explained, "One of the Vizards, the group Ichigo was training with. Long black hair in a braid?"

"Oh!" Keigo exclaimed, "The school uniform one! Ya know, she wears it pretty well, but really, if you gotta wear that uniform, she should wear it like Matsumoto-san. In my highly professional, but humble-"

With a quick elbow jab from Tatsuki, Keigo was silenced. "You're lucky she isn't actually here to hear you say that."

"She will be in enough time. Although," Rukia glanced around inquisitively, "Hitsugaya-taichou isn't here, nor Hinamori-fukutaichou. Where are they?" she asked.

Renji glanced away from her, off into the distance. "Hinamori might have had a bad night, and Hitsugaya-taichou decided to skip to stay home with her."

Knowing that talk about Hinamori's all too frequent night terrors made everyone depressed, Mizuiro took a bite from his sandwich before glancing back at Shinji. "Ah, I remember Riza-san," he said hastily, "she and the rest of your friends went to that Soul Society place for research, right?"

Shinji nodded, looking slightly grateful that the topic veered away from Hinamori. She wasn't a comfortable subject for him. "Yeah. They've been lookin' for some answers, and," he paused, chewing thoughtfully on his Pocky before continuing, "they might have found somethin'."

The shock from the news was like a tremor that shot out from Shinji, spreading over the group and silencing them. Blank stares and surprised expressions were exchanged before Rukia whispered, "Found something?"

Renji shook his head. "I thought you said they wouldn't."

The Vizard narrowed his eyes. "No, I said we didn't _think _we'd find anything. I was just as surprised when she told me."

Tatsuki set aside her lunch, not interested in her food for the time being. "What did they find?"

Shinji leaned back against the side of the surrounding wall. "A story. Ise-fukutaichou was the one to find it, actually. She and Kyouraku have been helping Riza with the research."

Rukia's face set into a deadpan frown. "I was under the assumption that we didn't want Soul Society to know about all of this."

Shinji shrugged. "She insisted they didn't know what they're really lookin' for. Even if they did find out, wouldn't they have said somethin' by now?" He set his lunch bag down, and pulled out a canned drink. "Anyway, Riza's been havin' a blast with 'em, and I trust her, so, no harm done."

It was Tatsuki's turn to frown. "I hope you're not trying to avoid the subject, or something."

Rolling his eyes, Shinji opened his can. "No. Yeesh, you people. Fine, I'll get to the point. Last night, Riza woke me the hell up to tell me they stumbled upon somethin'. Little Nanao found it wa-a-a-a-ay in the back of the Library, where the books are so old, she said, that they'd practically fall apart in your hands if ya weren't careful." He took a sip from his drink. "The story she found is really old. Older than the Gotei 13, and maybe even Old Yama himself.

"So, it goes somethin' like this: a long while back, there was this warrior. He was a rogue soldier, until one day, a really well-to-do noble family hired him as a bodyguard. He was assigned to protect the sole daughter of the family. So.."

He suddenly paused, and glanced towards the stairs. He sighed softly, and scratched his head. "Look, if ya wanna hear the entire story, you can ask Riza when she gets back. But, for the abridged version, here's how it goes. They eventually fall in love, blah blah, but the girl's father finds out and gets pissed. He sends a group of hired mercenary soldiers to kill the bodyguard after he refuses to comply with his demands to leave the girl.

"She's there the night he's attacked. He does his best to fight them off, but he's struck down. The noblewoman was injured trying to help him. As she was about to be taken away by the soldiers, she declared that she'd love the guy, no matter who he was or what he became." He shifted his glance to the side, and grinned. "Here's where it gets interesting. The warrior somehow hears this, and suddenly, he springs back to life. They say his reiatsu became immense, and overwhelmed the mercenaries."

Ishida lowered his head slightly, and his body tensed inadvertently. "If I were to take a guess, if these men saw his face, it wasn't that of a human, was it?"

Shinji shook his head. "Nope. He was wearin' a full, genuine Hollow mask, with a hole in the middle of his chest. His sword was still in his hand, but he had the presence of a beast."

"Just like Ichigo," Rukia murmured, her eyes wide.

"Exactly. Nanao showed it to Riza because of the mask part, but you can imagine how surprised Riza was. Anyway, the story ends with the warrior kickin' ass, and the two of them run away, never to be seen again. The whole tale was written to show the noble girl in a bad light, trying to preach the consequences of what happens when you don't listen to yer father or somethin'."

Keigo chuckled nervously. "Geez, that's a little extreme."

"It was the old days, although a lot of the nobility in Soul Society still would adhere to that lesson. While it's only some story, most tales like that are rooted in some fact." Shinji relaxed a little, the story told and done, and stretched his legs. "Hollow attacks weren't that frequent back then. They were almost unheard of. They didn't really show up until right before the squads were formed. And it's really too close to what happened on the dome to be a coincidence. It doesn't give us answers, but it still says a lot. It also might mean the truth's out there."

Chad crossed his arms, his expression neutral as he spoke up for the first time since lunch started. "You think it really happened before?"

"Ah," Shinji propped his elbows on the wall's edge, and drifted into silence for a few brief moments before answering, "I'm not sure. It seems unlikely, but who knows? Point is, what happened with Ichigo might not have been some isolated incident, and there's a chance we can get him to do it again. If we can see him in that form, we'll get answers, or at least get a better idea of what we're dealin' with. I'm damn curious."

Without warning, Tatsuki slammed her fist into the ground, causing those sitting near her to jump. "What is this to you?" she asked Shinji, her teeth gritted. "Some kind of activity? This is serious! You're toying around with something between my two best friends, and you're doing it because _you're curious_?"

The combative tone in her voice and the glint in her eyes had Ishida on edge. "Arisawa-san," he said.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

Orihime's voice broke the tense atmosphere, and Tatsuki leaned back. "Forget it," she muttered, before turning around to see Orihime and Ichigo come up the stairs, both with their lunches. She forced a smile upon seeing Orihime's, but it quickly faded when she saw a large band-aid on her forehead.

"Orihime, what happened?" she asked, gesturing to the bandage.

Her friend flushed in embarrassment. "I thought I saw one of the evil apples, and I ran towards it. I tripped over something, and smacked my head into the edge of a locker. I laid there for a minute, wondering what happened, and then Kurosaki-kun appeared."

It was then that Ichigo continued the story, perhaps due to not wanting to let Orihime's imagination run wild and think up something crazy. "I helped her up, but the gash was kind of bad, so we had to go to the nurse. That's why we took so long."

They walked over and sat next to Tatsuki. She shook her head, and ruffled Orihime's hair affectionately. "At least you're okay, but be more careful."

"I'm fine! I wish that apple didn't get away, though."

It was then Ishida politely asked about Hinamori, and the conversation picked up from there. Tatsuki let her thoughts drift a little, not feeling too talkative anymore. She nodded along at some points, like when it was confirmed that Hinamori had had a nightmare, and stayed home that day, or when the subject switched to the upcoming history test they all were dreading.

At one point, she caught Ichigo glancing uneasily at her. She tilted her head to the side, and he responded by mumbling, "Sorry I didn't get to her sooner. She actually bled a little, and…"

Although she internally winced at the thought of Orihime bleeding, Tatsuki just shook her head and smiled reassuringly at Ichigo. "I can't always stop her from getting hurt, either."

He half-smiled in relief, and then resumed eating his lunch.

_He's that concerned? _Tatsuki briefly closed her eyes, not wanting to show her astonishment, and let her mind drift some more.

While in her reverie, Shinji's image popped into her head. _"If we can see him in that form, we'll get answers.… I'm damn curious."_

Then Ichigo saying, _"Sorry I didn't get to her sooner."_

_I've had it all wrong, _Tatsuki thought ashamedly. _Here I thought that these Vizards really wanted to… and that Ichigo was only…_

_How could I have been so stupid?_

_

* * *

_

She didn't voice any of her thoughts for the rest of the day. She faked a smile and forced some laughs, and tried to play it cool.

But Orihime wasn't fooled.

The young healer let her friend walk off to karate practice, but she watched Tatsuki's back with a concerned frown. It wasn't like Tatsuki to have something on her mind, but not say it. Orihime didn't want to push her, so she didn't mention anything about it. As she turned to start walking home, she decided that, if it kept up, then she would say something. She could at least give Tatsuki some time to gather her thoughts and voice them when she felt ready.

"Inoue."

Her head craned towards the source of the voice, and she unconsciously smiled as Ichigo strode over to her. "Kurosaki-kun," she said.

His scowl lessened, and he nodded to her. "I'm gonna go talk to Shinji. Did you wanna come along?"

She nodded eagerly. "Sure!"

"I'll try to make it quick, since I know you probably need to get home to check on Hinamori-san. I'll walk you back, afterwards."

Her smile softened. "You've walked me home every day the past few weeks. I feel bad that you always do. You don't have to, you know."

"But I want to," he replied bluntly. Then realizing that his statement could be misconstrued, he quickly added, "I mean, I like walking you home. You don't drive me nuts or anything, and you're a girl and-" He winced. "Not that I feel like I'm obligated or something, but… uh…"

A slim arm was suddenly slung around his shoulder. Shinji, having appeared out of virtually nowhere, rolled his eyes. "Try this on fer size: 'Inoue, while I, being a good gentleman, would never knowingly let a lady friend walk home alone, I enjoy your company and like walking you home, so it's not a problem for me at all.'"

Ichigo's eye twitched. "The hell? 'Lady friend?' I don't talk like that!"

"It was an example, ya incompetent blockhead. You're supposed to get the gist of it."

"I could have figured it out myself!"

Shinji's face pinched as he tried to suppress laughter. "Right, after five minutes of mumblin' and lookin' like a fool."

This was when Orihime knew that she needed to stop them before the argument turned into a fight. "Shinji-kun, good timing!" she said rather loudly.

"Huh?" His expression went blank as he peered over at her. "Whaddya mean?"

"Kurosaki-kun and I were going to go look for you!"

He glanced over suspiciously at Ichigo. "Oh, really?"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo grabbed the elder Vizard by his shirt collar and began to drag him along. "Walk and talk," he muttered.

Orihime quickly strode after them, quietly musing that it was more like "drag and talk." But then, that was how Ichigo got things done, and she supposed it did work. _And he'll let go of Shinji-kun eventually… I hope._

_

* * *

_

By the time they were a good distance from the school, Shinji was walking of his own accord and had been brought up to date with Ichigo and Orihime's homework status.

"So, yer all done?"

They both nodded.

Shinji smirked as he slyly glanced over at them. "I suppose that means yer both ready for trainin', then?"

"We'd like to start Monday," Ichigo clarified. "Just a couple days off, at least."

Shinji nodded along amicably. "Fine, fine. Gives the others a heads-up and time to come back. Urahara and I will be goin' to Soul Society sometime this weekend, anyway."

He honestly couldn't say he was surprised at the questioning glances they gave him. Still, he asked, "What?"

"Why are you and Urahara-san going there?" Orihime questioned, although her tone wasn't condescending, just curious. "I always figured you were happier not going back there."

_She's as observant as Ichigo is dense. _He shrugged. "Well, Urahara's going over there to get rid of certain documents. His argument, and it's a good one, is that, unless we want another Aizen, some stuff needs to be destroyed and forgotten about."

Ichigo furrowed his brow in wonderment. "You mean his documents about the Hougyoku?"

"That, among other things. He invented a lot of stuff that could be used fer the wrong purposes. He'd rather no one else get the same bright idea as Aizen and use his inventions for… well, to put it bluntly, evil."

"Okay," Ichigo said, "but what about you? Why are _you _going?"

Shinji looked away shiftily. _…But not dense enough. _"Abuse privileges, goof off, maybe give some fifth squad veterans a heart attack… who knows."

When Ichigo just kept staring at him, Shinji frowned heavily. "What, ya don't believe me?"

"Not really."

"Thanks for the trust, ya little-"

If he hadn't been so tired, he would have saw it coming, or so he believed.

At least he had time to dodge the sudden attack that came from his left. Shinji shunpoed next to Ichigo, and his eyes scanned his surroundings.

He heard rustling behind him, and when he turned, he caught sight of his attacker, who still had his weapon in hand.

"I let a blind guy attack me. This is embarassin'," Shinji muttered.

Tousen frowned in disgust at the trio. "So, you are collaborating." Although his eyes were covered, it was obvious that his attention shifted to Orihime. "I can understand those two, but why are you involved?" he asked.

Ichigo's hand immediately went for his pocket, where he kept his shinigami badge. "What do you care?"

Suddenly, another presence came racing towards them. "Stop him!" a voice rang out, and Shinji recognized it immediately as Yoruichi's.

Tousen tensed, looking like a deer caught in headlights, and then disappeared in a flash.

Shinji cursed, and threw his books towards Ichigo. "Hold these!" he commanded before he took off after Tousen.

Not too far behind him, he sensed Yoruichi gaining speed, although something seemed to be holding her back. Shinji knew she could shunpo much faster than she currently was, especially given her lofty title of "Goddess of the Flash-step." Despite his concerns, there was no time to wonder why. He had a fugitive to chase, and a much larger problem: he didn't have his sword on him.

It would make things tricky, but he wasn't totally unarmed. He did have his mask.

Despite his exhaustion, Shinji poured all of his energy into chasing Tousen. They darted around trees and foliage, like a dangerous game of tag. He was beginning to catch up with Tousen when the other man turned and fired a kidou spell at him.

Shinji quickly pulled on his mask, and with the added power, was able to dodge the spell, despite its rather large range. Although he would pay for it later, the mask was giving him the extra boost he desperately needed, and within a minute or two, was within arm's reach of his pursuit.

He tried to reach out and grab him, but Tousen spun and swung his sword, forcing Shinji to recoil his hand. _I need my zanpakutou, damn it! _he mentally cursed, _And how the hell can a blind guy maneuver like this, anyway? Shouldn't he have run into somethin' by now?_

He pushed himself forward, and was about to make another grab when a clearing appeared before them. Shinji swore out loud when he saw a Garganta open up in the sky. He skidded to a halt, all the while charging a Cero. _If I can't grab him, I'll just incinerate him. _That'll _make him stop._

From the left, on the other side of the clearing, Yoruichi burst out from the forest, and raced forward towards Tousen. Shinji was forced to stop his Cero, not willing to risk hitting her.

Yoruichi flipped forward, and as she landed on her hands, she swung her legs over her head. Two hidden daggers soared out, and went straight for Tousen.

They found their mark, as the man had little time to dodge. However, despite being stuck in his side and slowing him down, they didn't stop him from continuing. Even as Shinji used his last burst of energy to try and chase him down, and as Yoruichi rocketed towards him, he kept going.

Yoruichi leaped, and tried to block Tousen as he neared the Garganta. He struck her with his sword, and she was forced to leap deftly out of the way. She skirted to his right, and began to condense her reiatsu. "Shun-"

"Bakudou #66, Raikouhou."

As soon as Tousen chanted the spell, Shinji fired off a Cero as quickly as he could, aiming it so it was between Tousen and Yoruichi. The martial artist managed to leap back, at the very least, and enough so that the Cero was able to stop the kidou spell by colliding with it.

While Yoruichi came out of the encounter alive, so did Tousen. He leapt into the Garganta, and it immediately closed behind him.

Shinji's chest heaved in and out as his mask disintegrated. Yoruichi hobbled over to him, and for the first time, Shinji realized that she was injured. "He got you?" he asked.

"Earlier," she replied, holding her side, the clothing stained red with blood. "Kisuke and I were out. When we came back to the shouten, we found him. It looked like he had been searching the store, and then Jinta and Ururu must have found him." Her eyes seemed to darken as she continued, "He had his sword pointed at them when we walked in. He used his shikai on us, and Kisuke and I both got injured from it. I went after him anyway."

Very worried, and a little disturbed that the nearly infallible Urahara and Yoruichi were caught off guard enough to be injured, Shinji frowned, and took a step towards her. "Let's get ya to Orihime-chan so she can fix ya up, and then take her down to the shouten, too. What the heck was he looking for, anyway?"

Yoruichi uneasily met Shinji's gaze. "I don't know. I don't know what Kisuke would have that he would want. I don't even know why he's bothering with us. Aizen's dead. What purpose does he have, or what is he striving for?"

Shinji sighed tiredly. "Oh, I'm sure we're gonna find out, whether we want to or not."

* * *

He couldn't speak for Shinji, but Urahara Kisuke could say without a doubt that he certainly wanted to know.

He would have been determined to find out the truth had Tousen attacked anyone else. But he had personal motivation to figure out Tousen's mysterious activities. The wretched man had the audacity to break into _his _store, rummage through _his _things, corner _his _charges, and then hurt _his _best friend.

Urahara was always regarded as patient, and he knew he was. Yet, even he had his limits.

No action, no associate was too low or below him. He didn't care who he had to rely on, as long as they figured out what the captain-turned-traitor was up to.

For two days, he had been stumped as to how to go about gathering information, even though he was willing to try anything. Being unable to act had frustrated him, even to the point of anger. There was no telling if and when Tousen would come back, and he couldn't just waltz into Hueco Mundo and try to find him.

No, he couldn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't have someone else do it, granted he gave them incentive.

The perfect candidate came on the second night after the attack, peering out from a Garganta before stepping out onto thin air. Urahara had never personally talked to this resident of Hueco Mundo, but he certainly knew who he was.

His bright teal hair and the infamous bone jaw he wore on his face told Urahara right away that it was Ichigo's infamous Arrancar rival, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. From what he garnered, the rebellious Arrancar would serve as the perfect spy, especially since Urahara knew exactly what would get him to cooperate.

Having gone for a midnight stroll when Grimmjow appeared, Urahara initially hid himself when he sensed his presence. But once he saw who it was and the lucky opportunity before him, he stepped out from his hiding spot. Urahara pulled out his fan, and covered most of his face behind it before addressing the wandering Arrancar. "Careful, former Espada. It won't be too long before one of the many shinigami stationed in town take notice of your presence and decide to investigate."

Grimmjow slowly turned towards Urahara, his usual unconcerned frown on his face. "Huh. What makes you think I give a fuck?"

Urahara shrugged innocently. "Just thought I'd point it out. But of course, you wouldn't care. You're only here in regards to one particular shinigami. A substitute, to be exact."

Perhaps not sure whether to be suspicious or not of the knowledge Urahara had of him, Grimmjow glared at him uneasily. "You know Kurosaki?"

"Why, yes!" he exclaimed cheerily, "I suppose you could call me a sort of mentor to him." He lowered his fan, revealing a large smile. "Now, we can go and beat around the bush, or get to the point. I know you're here to fight him again."

The former sexta sneered. "So, you're here to protect his ass?"

"I'm none too familiar with Kurosaki-san's rearend, but no, I'm not. I'm quite confident he can do that on his own." A bit amused by Grimmjow, he shouldered Benihime and tried not to chuckle. "I'm here to offer you a deal."

Now most definitely suspicious, Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at him, his posture tense and ready to go on the defensive. "What deal?"

"You live in Hueco Mundo. I'd like for you to keep an eye on the going-ons of Tousen and Ichimaru. They're up to something, and considering one of them broke into my home the other night, I'd like to know why." Since he knew Grimmjow wouldn't even consider helping without getting something in return, Urahara went on to explain his end of the deal. "I'll give you two weeks. You come back, give me enough pertinent and useful information, and I will give you the chance to fight with Kurosaki. It won't be just any fight, either."

Grimmjow said nothing, but his eyes urged him to continue.

_Hooked him. _"I don't know if you've been made aware, but Kurosaki-san has gained a significant power increase. Enough to overwhelm the fourth Espada when he was in Hueco Mundo. If you want the match to end all matches with him, I suggest you fight him in this form. The only problem is, it's not something he can call out at will, but I will do my best to inform you of when I think it may happen." He eyed Grimmjow, brow raised. "Have we ourselves a deal?"

The Arrancar snorted softly. "I can just come whenever the hell I want and fight him when he goes into this form."

"Ah, I suppose, but do you really want to keep showing up here _every _night, and risk getting caught? You'll end up fighting someone who's not Kurosaki and may very well get killed, and that'd be a waste." He glanced over to the side. "Unless, of course, you're collaborating with the two traitors. Then I suppose I can understand your hesitance."

Grimmjow's face contorted into a violent glare. "Don't fucking associate me with them!" He emitted a growl, but then suddenly stared at him in surprise. Cursing his stupidity out loud for falling into Urahara's trap, Grimmjow grumbled, and turned away from him. "Fine, I'll spy on them. Two weeks, right? What exactly are you looking for?"

Satisfied that he finally found help, Urahara visibly relaxed. "Anything suspicious, something that would indicate what they're up to. Strange people wandering around, different activity, odd behavior… anything that you would label as not normal. You would know, I imagine."

Grimmjow nodded curtly. "Sounds easy enough. I'll have your damn information in time. I better get that match."

Urahara smiled slyly. "Oh, you will, I promise. And it'll be a fight you'll never forget."

* * *

A small figure peered over the edge of the Garganta. It listened to the conversation exchanged between former shinigami and Arrancar. When they were finished, it slunk back into the dark depths of the portal, its presence unnoticed.

Just the way it wanted to be.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, be honest: how many Grimmjow fangirls/boys squealed when they saw him appear? Raise your hands. And oh yes, Grimmjow-shaped cookies for this chapter for reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7

I don't think I show my appreciation for reviews near enough, but it's hard to show it other than saying thanks every time a chapter comes out. But I'll do what I can, so that will include shout-outs, because they're awesome and, at the very least, reviewers deserve to have their names bolded and mentioned before each new chapter XD So heartfelt thanks and gratitude to **war90, COAIM, Twix10, DancerGrl16, Yanaril, aki6, **and **Demonbloodfeeder. **I love having all of this support, it keeps me going and drives me to write each new chapter.

As usual, though, extra thanks to **PerennialLurker**, FLOL's awesome essayist and my beta-reader. She's been busy with college, but she still found the time to read over this and correct it. I am extremely lucky to have her.

This chapter's review incentive will be revealed at the end again. You'll see why ;D Enjoy and leave a review! I love them to death.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Returning, Remembering, Redeeming, and Re-forging_

It was a simple procedure, but as much as Urahara knew he wanted to do it and had to, he also knew it would be extremely painful to watch years' worth of experiments and work burn to nothing but a pile of ashes at his feet.

Though the lower-ranking shinigami could not understand the motivation behind Urahara's request to burn his notes on the Sokyoku, those who had known him before his exile – Kyoraku, Ukitake, Kurostuchi and even Riza, who had delayed her departure to witness this – understood his motivations, and had given him permission to act as he wished.

He was not burning _all _of his notes, and he had to keep reminding himself of that. Some of his inventions were still deemed safe for public knowledge, and what information he had to destroy was still, for the most part, in his head. But there was no mistaking the anguish he felt as he grasped in his hands the last set of notes to be thrown onto the enormous pile. So many hours of tedious note-taking and preparation, of well-planned experiments and thorough analysis… It was all to be destroyed in a matter of minutes.

As a scientist, it was his worst nightmare.

"Urahara-san?"

Ukitake's voice pulled him back from his train of thought. For the better, he supposed. He didn't want to think about just what it was he was doing. He'd much rather just get it done and over with. The pain would pass all that much sooner. "I'm fine. Is everyone ready?" he asked, directing his shadow-covered gaze at the captains.

"Ready when you are." Kyouraku attempted a joking smile, but it fell short.

The former twelfth division captain looked down at the document in his hands one last time, noting that, ironically, it was the notes of his first attempt in creating the Hougyoku. His eyes fluttered shut, and with a flick of his wrist, he scattered the papers on top of the pile.

Kyouraku nodded to the four junior shinigami. They stepped forward, torches in hand, and lit the mound. It was aflame in seconds, and the fire roared to life as it enveloped the heap.

Urahara bowed his head, his eyes halfway open as he watched his work incinerate.

Kurotsuchi sighed heavily as the flames danced in front of him. "Over a decade's worth of work. Painstaking notes, double and triple checking your steps, hours of laborious experimentation… it is the life of a scientist. We pour our energy into it, devote our entire selves into it, and think of little else but how to go about doing the next experiment, how to design that idea of an invention that invades your mind and refuses to leave, and pondering over the questions our predecessors left unanswered." His robes and haori rustled in the light breeze that blew in. "That is what we are."

Nemu clasped her hands quietly in front of her. "And then to watch it burn, as if it meant nothing…"

Either because of the somber atmosphere, or because he simply didn't feel like it, Mayuri said nothing, not even scolding her for speaking up when not addressed. He simply fell silent and continued to stare at the inferno.

Nanao shifted uneasily, and glanced over at Riza. "I think I understand why he chose to do this. Throwing his work into an incinerator and being done with it, it would have felt like, to him, that he was doing it injustice. That it meant nothing to him." She pushed her glasses back. "But why here?"

Riza nodded to the large column of smoke that flowed from the fire. "See that? How high do you think it goes up?"

"Pretty high. There's a lot being burned, especially with the cinder and wood he added to the pile beforehand. Why?"

"Think about it. You saw firsthand what happened here. You know what's being burned. That smoke is rising high, for everyone to see." She met Nanao's gaze sternly, but patiently, much like she used to a century ago, whenever she was trying to teach Nanao something.

The vice-captain frowned, and looked back up at the smoke. "Everyone to see the smoke? They…" Her eyes widened momentarily as the proverbial light bulb lit in her head. "Oh. It's a kind of testament?"

Pleased that she figured it out so quickly, Riza nodded. "It's been circulating around for days that the notes Aizen used for his schemes were being burned. It's a reminder to everyone of what has happened, and a warning to prevent it from happening again." She crossed her arms, despite the heat the fire gave off. "I think it also serves as a way of tying up a loose end. A statement that this won't be allowed to happen again."

Nanao added quietly, "It means a lot of things."

"Correcting what we can of the past, so we can move forward to the future." With all the days she spent in the Library, looking at texts of old and trying to find an explanation, perhaps it was understandable why Riza felt the need to say, "It's about time we all did."

When she returned to the human world the next day, she would be pushing forward, for herself, her friends, and for Ichigo and Orihime. With their bond and everything surrounding it that was happening lately, their future was a little uncertain. Tomorrow, Riza swore mentally, they were going to begin to uncover it.

* * *

As the last lick of flame smoldered under the heavy pile of ash and wood, a loud uproar tore through the somber silence that settled over the bonfire spectators. Everyone there held similar looks of confusion and intrigue as the noise grew louder. Then, moments later, a small rabble of shinigami, led by Oomaeda, came up from the stairs and over towards the group. Being pulled along with them was a very annoyed Shinji, who was the one causing half of the commotion. The other half was Oomaeda, who had been arguing with Shinji the whole way there.

Kyouraku quickly stepped forward. "Easy, guys. Let him go. Shinji-san, I hope you weren't trying to peek in on the fifth squad women's barracks or something. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all."

This was quickly met with a sound thump over the head, courtesy of Nanao. Kyouraku winced as he turned around and pouted. "Nanao-chan!"

"The sad thing is, you're probably being completely serious," she remarked drolly.

"He is being serious, I assure you," Riza added. She looked over at Shinji. "What the hell did you do?"

Oomaeda scrunched his nose as he glanced down at Shinji. "We caught him trying to sneak into Yamamoto-soutaichou's room, where he's been resting! On Soifon-taichou's orders, we were told not to allow anyone but Kyouraku-taichou, Ukitake-taichou, and Unohana-taichou to-"

Shunsui gave him a cursory wave of his hand to silence him. "All the squads were made aware of those orders, and you've done well. But please, release him. I'll talk to him. He may not have been aware."

Obviously upset by the thought of not being able to throw Shinji into a jail cell, Oomaeda gestured to his men to let him go. Shinji scowled as Oomaeda sneered at him. The Vizard's eyes slitted, and Oomaeda took a step back, glaring fiercely at Hirako before turning and hurrying off.

"Thank you for not beating him senseless, as I know you're very capable of doing," Kyouraku said, smiling wryly.

"Eh, it was nothin'. I thought about puttin' my mask on and making him piss his pants, but I was havin' more fun arguin' with him. How the hell is he a fukutaichou?"

"Money" was the only word Nanao provided, accompanied with a roll of her eyes.

"Glad to see nothin's changed," Shinji commented dryly.

Ukitake chuckled lightly. "The politics of the Gotei 13. I'm sure that's something you haven't missed."

"Among other things." For the first time since before the fire was lit, Urahara spoke. His tone was a little heavy, and quieter than normal, but it was to be expected. "Strange though. I don't remember paying a visit to Yamamoto-soutaichou being on your list of things to do while you were here."

Trying to play it down, Shinji shrugged. "Eh, not originally. Thought I'd check up on 'im, but I shoulda known he'd be guarded. Besides, I got bored, and I didn't feel like seeing a pile of papers burn up."

Riza shunpoed behind him, and kicked him hard in the back of his legs. As Shinji fell to the ground, muttering in pain, Urahara sighed softly. "Ah, I understand, really." He took off his hat, and ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "I think I'm going to go get some rest."

"Perhaps we should as well. How about it, Nanao-chan?"

Ise gave her captain, who was looking at her hopefully, a steely glare. "I know where you're going with this, and the answer's no. But I am tired, so I will sleep. Alone." She glanced over at Riza, ignoring her captain's piteous cries of rejection.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute. I want to talk to Shinji." She smiled reassuringly at her friend, and Nanao smiled and nodded.

She bowed to the others before disappearing in a flash, Kyouraku following after her after bidding everyone a quick good night. Mayuri glanced at Shinji. "What a ruckus," he muttered before shunpoing as well, Nemu on his heels. Ukitake waved and disappeared as well, leaving Urahara.

"Go sleep," Riza urged him. "It's been a rough day for you."

"I know. I just wish I was back at the shop. There's so much to do yet, and I…" He smiled slightly and shrugged it off. "Well, the quicker I fall asleep, the faster tomorrow comes. Good night," he said with a tip of his hat. He took a few steps, twirling his cane before shunpoing into the distance.

Riza glanced over at the remaining shinigami with a frown. They blinked, and many of them fretted nervously before taking off, either shunpoing, or if they didn't know how, just flat out ran towards the long stairs.

"Still looks like ya can strike fear into any of 'em," Shinji said with a chuckle.

Riza brushed some ash off of her shirt before casually asking him, "So, seeing as what happened, I take it you weren't able to do it?"

His smile vanishing, Shinji glanced skyward. "Nope. Nothin' we can do about it now. We'll just have to wait, that's all." He gently fingered something tucked into his coat pocket, and sighed. "No big deal. It doesn't matter when it happens, just as long as it does eventually, right?"

Riza tugged at her braid. "As long as they don't notice, yes."

Shinji shook his head. "Let's not worry about it now. We gotta rest up fer tomorrow. It's gonna be a hell of a long day, and we still don't know what the heck we're gonna do. I don't need to be worryin' about other crap on top of it."

* * *

Orihime's thoughts were also turned to the training that would begin the next day. Naturally, she had concerns about exactly what they would be doing, and if she and Ichigo would do all right. She wasn't going to let herself walk in there with any delusions: she doubted anything significant would happen on the first day. She doubted it would be much more than an examination to assess the current level of power she and Ichigo controlled.

_I think so, anyway. Shinji-kun was pretty clear that he was in no rush about doing this. Maybe it is best if we take it slow. _She frowned as she walked to her refrigerator and pulled out an onion. She was planning on making a beef, tomato, and noodle stir-fry, and diced onion was another key ingredient. She set the onion on the counter with the rest of her ingredients, and inhaled deeply. _I feel a little tired. I think I've been worrying about this too much._

The distinct sound of chatter drifted in from the living room. Orihime smiled slightly as she heard Hitsugaya make some dry retort to Hinamori's teasing. _Hinamori-san sounds much better today. _Her smile fell, and her gaze rested on the food in front of her. _I think I've been worrying about too much in general, lately. But Hinamori-san… I don't know if she's made any progress. Maybe it'll take awhile, but I just-_

She shook her head, trying to dislodge such consuming thoughts. She pulled out a pan, and turned on the burners. The stir-fry was Hinamori's favorite. It was the first meal she had eaten in the human world, and despite Orihime's initial fears, she loved it. Hinamori had quietly asked her earlier if she could make it again, and Orihime certainly wasn't going to say no. If it helped Hinamori feel better, she would do whatever it took.

As she began to prepare the ingredients, her thoughts took a reprieve from her worries, and reminisced about her first meeting with Hinamori.

* * *

_She had been fretting over that dinner the entire day. Thoughts racing, she felt like she had gone all over the place, finding a recipe that Hinamori might like and getting ingredients. _

_The stir-fry was sizzling in the pan when she heard a knock on the door. Nearly jumping out of her skin, Orihime had to quickly compose herself before answering the door. She pulled together a bright smile and cracked open the door._

_Hitsugaya stood alongside of a small woman, only barely taller than him, wearing a bun and a shy smile. "U-um, hello," the woman greeted._

"_Ah, you must be Hinamori-fukutaichou! Come in," Orihime answered cheerily, opening the door all the way and letting the pair in. _

"_Hinamori, this is Inoue Orihime. Inoue-san, this is Hinamori Momo." Hitsugaya gently led Hinamori inside, and closed the door behind them._

_Hinamori bowed slightly to Orihime. "Please call me Momo. Thank you for letting me stay here, especially on such short notice."_

_Orihime waved her hands in front of her face, flushing faintly. "Oh, please, I don't mind at all! Ah, um, excuse me! I have to check on dinner! Please make yourselves at home!" _

_She hurried off to check on the stir-fry. She nearly stumbled into the kitchen, but managed to keep her balance. As she checked on the meal and stirred it, she heard Hitsugaya ask, quite hesitantly, "Inoue-san, what exactly are you making for us tonight?"_

_It was no secret that Hitsugaya usually suffered through her meals, and ate out whenever he could. "It's a stir-fry. Beef, tomato, and noodles with some chopped onions. I found it in a cookbook!" she answered, hoping the "cookbook" part would ease his mind._

_There was a barely audible sigh of relief. Orihime smiled as she turned off the burner, and dished the stir-fry out. "It's done!" she announced as she brought the stir-fry into the dining area. _

_Hinamori and Hitsugaya sat down, and Orihime followed their lead as she set the food down on the table. "Oh! Would you like anything to drink?"_

_They both declined. "Maybe later?" Hinamori offered. "But I am hungry though. This looks delicious!"_

"_Thank you!" Orihime felt a swell of pride, not used to people liking her cooking. She served the stir-fry, and then leaned back slightly as she sampled it. Her body tensed as she awaited her housemates' reactions._

_Hitsugaya chewed carefully, and then smiled. "Pretty good."_

_Hinamori nodded in agreement. "This is great!" She shot Hitsugaya a stern frown, and he glanced away uneasily._

_Pretty sure what the frown was about, Orihime laughed nervously. "My cooking is a little eccentric, and most people don't like it."_

_Momo looked down at the stir-fry, and then back at Orihime. "Hmm. Even so, you know how to cook. I think it's more than we can say for Hitsugaya-kun here," she said, smiling at her friend, who glared playfully back at her._

_Most of the dinner passed by in relative peace. They chatted about a few things regarding Karakura Town, and both Hitsugaya and Inoue told Hinamori about Karakura High, and how to get by posing as a student. _

"_So, you and all your friends that came to Soul Society attend this school?" Hinamori asked._

_Orihime nodded. "Yep! Well, almost. Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and Kurosaki-kun all go there."_

"_Inoue-san is going to be spending a lot of time with them for a couple weeks. Catching up on assignments," Hitsugaya added. _

_Orihime flushed faintly as she poked at her food. "That's right. I'll have to try to make more normal food. They'll be here once or twice a week, since we're rotating houses. I don't want to have them go home with upset stomachs."_

_Hitsugaya smirked slightly. "Kurosaki doesn't seem to mind your cooking. He'd probably really enjoy this. Then again, he'd probably say he likes this even if he really didn't."_

"_Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hinamori looked over at a beet red Orihime. "Ooh. Is he your boyfriend?"_

_Orihime squeaked loudly, and almost violently waved her hands. "No no no! Just a friend! I think Hitsugaya-taichou just meant he'd say that because Kurosaki-kun is very kind!"_

"_To you," Hitsugaya countered. "He acts like a punk around the rest of us."_

_Unsure of how to react to that, Orihime focused intently on her food, and shoveled an enormous amount into her mouth._

_As she tried to chew through her food, Hinamori, who sensed her embarrassment, chided Hitsugaya for teasing her. He countered with some dry remark (Orihime was still focusing more on her chewing than listening, and missed what he said), and they went back and forth with insults and comebacks._

_When it looked like Hitsugaya and Hinamori were about to get into a full-blown argument, Orihime quickly asked Hinamori, "You've never been in the human world for really long?" _

_Blinking in surprise, Hinamori shook her head. "No longer than a day or two. But I'm looking forward to it. I mean, there's a lot to be done here, and a lot that might happen yet. After everything that happened-" Her smile suddenly fell, and Orihime's heart clenched. "I know I've been a problem to everyone. That's why I came along."_

"_We need someone who's skilled at kidou, someone who's really good with it aside from Kuchiki. It's not a suspension or vacation. You're down here on duty." Hitsugaya tried to sound stern, but Orihime could make out a distinct plea in his tone._

_Hinamori sighed, and pushed her nearly empty plate away from her. "It's fine. I, um, I'd just like to rest."_

_Feeling terribly guilty that she might have somehow made Hinamori upset, Orihime nodded and got up. She beckoned for Hinamori, and showed her where she would be sleeping._

_Later that night, as Orihime did the dishes, she heard Hitsugaya quietly approach her. She turned around, and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."_

"_Don't be. The strangest things will remind her of him, or dampen her mood. I've done it already and I still don't know what it was I said." Hitsugaya shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't know what to say to help her."_

_Orihime glanced out the window. "I don't either. But, I trust Unohana-taichou, and I think Hinamori-san is strong. I think she's just forgotten how to be. We'll figure it out."_

_

* * *

_

Orihime lost confidence in her prediction the first night Momo had a night terror. No one was sure how or why these terrors started, but Hitsugaya feared it was because of the location. Aizen did, technically, die right above Karakura Town. Hinamori hadn't been told who killed him, with good reason, but she certainly knew where he spent his last moments.

There was no definitive answer.

Orihime had no intention of giving up on her. Right then, though, she was holding onto the hope that Rangiku would be able to help when she came. Until she was sent there, however, she and Hitsugaya were just going to have to deal with things as best as they could.

With everything cooking in the pan, Orihime walked into the living room. Another thing she had been worrying about was what to tell Hinamori and Hitsugaya in regards to her training. She couldn't tell them the complete truth, but she wasn't going to lie, either.

"Hitsugaya-taichou? Hinamori-san?"

The pair, who had been on the couch watching television, craned their heads to see her.

"Will you two be all right for dinner tomorrow? I might not be back here until later."

They exchanged glances before turning back to look at Orihime. "Yes," Hitsugaya answered. "Are you doing something with Arisawa-san?"

She had to be as honest as possible. This wasn't going to be a one-time thing, so they had to know. "No. Training. This will be happening a couple times a week, I'm thinking. I'm not totally sure yet."

Hinamori blinked confusedly. "Training?"

"H-Hachi-san. His powers are sort of similar to mine. He's going to help me learn to use them better." She paused, and waited.

"One of the Vizards?" Hitsugaya stared at her thoughtfully, and then nodded. "All right. Just don't overdo it."

Orihime beamed, and gave him a little salute. "Yes, sir!"

The phone rang, and she hurried over to answer it. Her expression was understandably confused when she answered the phone, since she hadn't been expecting any calls that night. "Hello?"

She listened intently as Hinamori and Hitsugaya watched her. Orihime then beamed, and placed a hand over the receiver. "It's Abarai-kun. He and some of the others are getting together after dinner. He said no gigais?" She wasn't exactly sure what Renji meant by the last statement, but hoped one of the two resident shinigami knew.

Hitsugaya raised a brow, but nodded. "Letting off some steam, it seems. Are you up for it?" he asked Hinamori, turning to look at her.

She grinned, and nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes! I feel so restless sitting around here."

_Letting off steam? Oh, sparring! _Orihime lifted her hand, and spoke to Renji. "All three of us will come after dinner." She paused, and then giggled. "No, Hitsugaya-taichou's fine with it."

Hitsugaya's expression became deadpan. "I have a sense of fun, despite what he might think."

Hinamori smiled innocently as she looked over at Hitsugaya. "I can't imagine where he got that from, Hitsugaya-kun."

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou."

"I take that back," she said with a laugh.

* * *

_Fun_ was not the word Grimmjow would have used to describe what _he_ was doing. He still couldn't fathom just how the hell he had gotten into this. But, he supposed that if it garnered him just one more fight with Kurosaki and thus one more chance to redeem himself, it was worth it.

And, although he would never admit it to anyone, ever, he was actually genuinely curious about what Tousen and Ichimaru were doing. At first, he had begun spying on them begrudgingly, not caring in the least about what he would find out. But after watching them for two days, he began to wonder.

There were a few things he was already quite certain about in regards to the activities of Tousen and Ichimaru. One, they had rounded up almost all of the surviving Arrancar. None of the Espada, save him, had survived the war's end, but a few groups of Numero had. Two, they were not operating alone. Three, they were looking for someone or something.

The second and third observations went hand in hand. What stumped Grimmjow was _who _was helping Tousen and Ichimaru, and _who or what _they were looking for. The people aiding the two former captains were not Hollows, this he was sure of. They certainly couldn't be humans: their reiatsu was too strong for that.

But why would they be collaborating with shinigami? Grimmjow's perch from where he was watching the going-ons in Las Noches didn't allow him to get a close look at the strange men that had been wandering around. They didn't wear shihakusho, or even any black wardrobe. He thought he saw some sort of cloak hanging from their shoulders, but he couldn't be certain. They always stayed too far away for him to see.

It was frustrating not to be able to tell who they were, because he didn't recognize them in the least, but he had twelve more days to figure it out. If all else failed, maybe the damned shopkeeper who set him up to this task would have an idea.

_I still can't believe I fell for that fucking trap of his. Now I'm roped into doing this spying shit. I _hate _sneaking the hell around and acting like a motherfucking coward. _

He glared intensely into thin air, a growl building up in his throat. He should have been more careful.

But really, did he have any choice in the end, aside from walking out with no chance of fighting Kurosaki? Urahara was the one to offer the deal. Essentially, he had the power in the whole thing, and that was what Grimmjow hated the most. Yes, he was curious about what was going on, but there were others ways in which he would have preferred to obtain the information. But the spying was just a means to an end. An end he _had _to fulfill to get what he wanted.

_Goddamn bastard shopkeeper._

"So, you are thpying on them."

Grimmjow's spine immediately went rigid, and he spun around to confront the source of the voice. He had thrown caution to the wind again, and could have easily been caught. It wasn't one of Tousen or Ichimaru's lackeys. It was only the little Arrancar that had been hanging around him since the day Aizen fell.

"Nel!" Grimmjow hissed, resisting the urge to pick her up by the throat and shake her. "Why the fuck are you here?"

Little Nel frowned slightly. "Becauth I was worried. I knew you were thpying on Touthen and Ithimaru for that Uwahawa guy, but I didn't know where you were!"

Grimmjow bit back yet another snarl. "How the hell did you know that?"

"I overheard you tawking to him." Neliel looked away uneasily. "I fowwowed you that night."

"You spied on me? You little shit!"

Eyes that, to Grimmjow, looked too old and wise to belong to a child narrowed at him. "Aren'th you one to tawk?"

He would have smacked her to the other side of Las Noches, except she was dead right. So, instead, he glared at her and turned away. "Whatever. Get lost. It's not safe here, anyway."

As much as she annoyed the crap out of Grimmjow, he owed her. She had healed him from the brink of death, and she and her friends had gotten him out of Las Noches before Tousen or Ichimaru could find him. If he had been found, especially so broken and bloody and weak, there was no telling what would have happened to him. Although he'd never say it, he was grateful to Neliel for saving him. And she did it out of no ulterior motive or reasoning. She did it simply because he needed her help, even after how he treated her.

So, once he recovered, he stuck close to her and her so-called brothers. They were tiring and made Grimmjow want to rip his hair out, but he supposed that it was better than being alone, or dead for that matter.

"B- but-"

He sighed. "Scram, Nel."

"I thaw thinigami!"

Grimmjow froze. "What?" he snapped, his eyes wide in surprise as he glanced back at her.

She recoiled slightly from him, but nodded. "I think they were thinigami. I don't know what elth they could have been."

There was no doubt that she saw the strange men that had been loitering around lately. Grimmjow used his pesquisa to scan the area. "Where?" he asked.

Voices drifted further down from where Grimmjow was. He grabbed Neliel and moved further back in his hiding spot in one fluid motion. He clamped a hand over her mouth, not risking her blabbing something and getting them caught. He dampened his reiatsu as much as possible, and he felt Neliel lower hers as well. Normally, he wouldn't care if the men found him, but a little voice in his head nagged that he had his end of the bargain to uphold, and that meant not getting caught.

From a distance away, he saw Tousen and Ichimaru emerge from around the corner, followed by three of the strange men. Their backs were turned to him, and they were covered in the shadows.

He couldn't see much of them, but he saw something hanging from their backs. _Definitely wearing cloaks or something. Their outfits ain't baggy, either. The hell are they?_

"Ara, ara. I wonder how you expect us to find someone, when ya don't even tell us who it is we're lookin' fer? Like a scavenger hunt with no clues," Ichimaru said in the same happy, almost cheerful but creepy tone he was known for.

Tousen, however, was not being as patient. "This is impossible. You want us to do what you ask, and yet you won't provide us with any clues to which you seek."

"You are not worthy in my eyes of knowing," spoke the leader of the mystery trio. "Prove to me your loyalty, and I will tell you more. For now, I will say this: we are searching for a small group of people."

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. He felt Nel shift and turn to look at him. He looked back at her, and read the surprise and worry in her eyes.

Tousen nodded curtly. "We'll take it for now. We'll prove our worth, and you'll fulfill your end of the bargain?"

The leader waved his hand. "Of course, as long as we get who we are searching for. Once we acquisition that power, Soul Society will once again be ours. Then the Gotei 13 can be yours to command."

Ichimaru tilted his head. "Oh? Yer lookin' for some pretty darn powerful folk, eh? There are a lot of scary-strong people out there, ya know."

"It is not your concern right now. We still do not even know where they are. We're finished here, for now. Expect us at the end of the week." The leader motioned to his silent comrades, and they disappeared in a flash.

_Shunpo. _Grimmjow heard the distinct swooshing sound associated with it. _But they can't be shinigami. The fuck?_

Tousen turned to Ichimaru. "We'll see Aizen-sama's goals fulfilled in time."

Ichimaru shook his head, and walked away from Tousen. "It ain't the same," he said, his tone flat. He glanced back at Tousen, his expression unreadable, before flash-stepping away from him.

Tousen stood in his spot for what felt like long minutes. He crossed his arms, and bowed his head, contemplating something. What it was, Grimmjow couldn't guess, nor did he really care. Finally, Tousen walked away, his head still bowed.

Grimmjow waited a few more minutes, until Tousen's reiatsu was far away. He then relaxed, and stepped away from his spot.

"Gwimmjow."

The former Espada frowned down at Neliel, but the expression faded when he caught her scared look. "What? They ain't gonna find us."

"It's not that," she murmured, her little body starting to tremble. "Wemember what those men thaid, about wooking for powerful people?"

"Yeah?" he asked, not getting where she was going with this.

She sniffed as tears formed. "Think about it! Powewful people, a power to take down the thinigami! They could mean Itsygo and his fwiends!" She waved her tiny arms in emphasis. "Weren't they weally stwong? Wasn't Aizen-sama intewested in Itsygo's powers? He even kidnapped Owahime for hers! His fwiends took down Ethpada!"

Because she very well could be right, and because it would be his luck, Grimmjow's eyes widened. "Oh, fuck," he muttered.

They didn't know where the people they were searching for were, and to this, Grimmjow was slightly relieved. It wasn't like he cared about Kurosaki's well-being, but if they found him before he got his fight, he was going to be pissed. He also knew that Neliel was worried about Ichigo for her own reasons.

"There ain't much we can do. If that's who it is, just start hoping they don't find Kurosaki in the next twelve days."

He really had no choice now. He would have to watch these men's every move, and listen for any news of them announcing who they were looking for and where. If it was Kurosaki, or someone in Karakura, then Grimmjow would just have to get there before they did.

* * *

Orihime let her head fall back, and the breeze rustled her hair as it flowed gently behind her. It was so nice, she thought, to get outside and enjoy the day, instead of being inside and doing homework, as she had been for the past couple of weeks.

Walking alongside of her were Hinamori and Hitsugaya. However, to most people, it would have appeared Orihime was walking alone. Her housemates were out of their gigais, and they were on their way to meet up with Renji and the others for a good bout of sparring.

The air was cool, and Orihime slightly shivered in her jacket. She hoped that the all the running around and movement she would soon be doing would warm her up quickly enough.

"You should have brought a heavier jacket, Inoue-san," Hitsugaya chided lightly.

She smiled at him. "Oh, it's all right. I didn't want to bring too heavy of one and make it hard to fight. This jacket is warmer than it looks," she insisted. "But, aren't you cold?"

"These shihakusho are a lot warmer than they look, too," Hinamori answered. "And she's right, Hitsugaya-kun. Once we start fighting we'll warm up quickly."

"Yo!" Keigo's voice resounded from further up ahead. The trio looked in his direction, and could make out the others waiting for them.

Orihime waved, and they hurried over to them. Ichigo and her other friends were there, along with Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki.

Hitsugaya nodded to everyone, but cast Tatsuki and company a wary glance. "This is going to be dangerous."

"That's why they're going to be all the way back there," Ichigo said, pointing to an area several yards back, "and we're going to be up here."

"We'll be all right," Tatsuki said with a roll of her eyes. "Just don't get too crazy. We've always wanted to see you guys in action."

"Some of us have seals, so we'll have to take it easy." Hinamori's glance flitted from face to face. "I think staying at shikai level is a good idea."

Renji nodded. "Probably best, so we don't cause too much of a mess. All right, how are we doing this? All out brawl or teams?"

"Teams," Hitsugaya immediately answered. "I hate brawls. Too chaotic."

"We should warm up first," Rukia suggested. "Against somebody who balances out our strengths."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and began to pair off. The trio who weren't able to fight walked to their chosen spot to put a safe distance between them and the fighting. As the sparring partners strolled off to find a good place to warm up, Orihime found herself left alone with Ichigo.

"Ah, um, looks like we're partners, Kurosaki-kun." She smiled, but her shoulders hunched when a cold gust of air blew in.

Ichigo made some move towards her, and she idly wondered if he was going to try to shield her from the wind. Seemingly realizing what he was about to do, he instead scratched his head and smiled nervously. "Y-yeah, seems like it. You okay?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yep! Just a little cold."

He frowned in concern. "Come on, let's run and pick a spot. We'll warm up quicker." He motioned to a spot, and jogged over to it. She followed after him, willing her frozen muscles to work. When they found a suitable area, Ichigo looked at her nervously.

Orihime stood in a defensive stance, or at least as much as she could with her body hunched together from the cold. She blinked when Ichigo kept looking at her uneasily. "It's okay, Kurosaki-kun," she said, wondering if he was feeling hesitant about attacking a friend.

He scratched his head. "This is awkward. I don't want to strike at you. You're my friend, and, well… you're a girl."

"Don't just stand there you moron!" Tatsuki shouted almost perfectly on cue from her seat on a dead log. "Geez. Orihime, you attack first then! Get him to move!"

Orihime chuckled nervously, but drew out her Santen Kesshun. "It's fine, really. I have my shield up."

Still unsure, although apparently resigned, Ichigo nodded and ran at her, sword drawn. Orihime planted her feet into the ground, and tried not to stumble back from the impact when he struck her shield. He swung out again, and she blocked it once more. She matched him each time, swing for swing.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked quietly as he pulled back.

She almost thought she imagined him asking, but when she met his glance, she saw the question in his eyes as well. "Um, yeah, I think so. It'll be nice to do something else besides homework," she added teasingly. A smile formed as she stepped back. "You?"

He nodded in determination. "Yeah. I want to get this settled."

In a rare display of aggressiveness, which was born from her need to keep coming to stay warm and to get Ichigo moving as per Tatsuki's orders, Orihime ran towards him. "Were they hard on you when you trained with them?" she asked as she aimed a kick at him.

Caught slightly off guard by her actions, Ichigo took the kick, but spun around as soon as he could. He got behind her, and went to elbow her, seemingly more comfortable with just basic hand-to-hand than actually using his weapon against her. "Yeah, they're pretty tough. Especially Hiyori."

Orihime brought the shield in front of her, repelling his elbow. "Oh. Well, that'll be good for us, right?"

Ichigo stumbled back. He recovered quickly, and shunpoed behind her. "I won't let them go that hard on you."

She spun around to face him, and lifted her leg to kick him from the side. He grabbed her ankle with his hand to stop her. Unfortunately, with Orihime's klutziness, the sudden change in momentum caused her to lose her balance and fall over to the side. Ichigo instinctively let go of her foot and reached out to catch her. His hands automatically grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. She, in turn, snagged her arms around his neck, since it happened to be the nearest thing to hold onto.

In such close proximity of each other, they stared and blushed furiously. Ichigo attempted a lighthearted smile. "Heh, s-sorry about that. But, uh, yeah. We'll be fine tomorrow."

She wasn't sure if it was some desperate attempt to change the subject, which was a moot point by then, but she nodded along and chuckled. "Oh, th-thank you, Kurosaki-kun. That's, um, really sweet of you." A smile lit up her face, and she slowly slipped her arms from around his neck. "Sorry for tripping."

"No, I'm sorry for tripping you to begin with. I…" He glanced away in shame. "It was a cheap move."

"Huh? It's okay, it was the smart thing to do." She didn't want him to treat her any differently than he would if he were with any other sparring partner. "And you shouldn't be upset with yourself. We're sparring. Just think of me like any of the others."

A small snippet of conversation from her earlier reminiscing floated to the front of her thoughts.

"_I think Hitsugaya-taichou just meant he'd say that because Kurosaki-kun is very kind!"_

"_To you. He acts like a punk around the rest of us."_

It wasn't like she didn't notice. She just never really understood why. He was a fundamentally good person, and she had no doubt about it. But for the first time, she really made a note of the way he treated her, and questioned it.

"But you're not like any of the others." He went rigid, but still kept Orihime in his grasp. "Er, what I mean is, you _are _my nakama, just like the others. It's just that, well…"

A part of her wanted to ask "But just _what_?" What set her apart from everyone else?

And for that matter, why was his face suddenly closer to hers? She wasn't sure, but all she knew was that his breath was warm, and her head was beginning to spin. He smiled slightly, before dipping his head and-

"All right! Practice is over!"

Renji's voice cut through the air, and brought them back to reality, their almost-moment shattered. Ichigo shook his head, and mumbled out another apology as he let go of Orihime.

If anyone saw them and what _almost _happened, they didn't mention it. "Hinamori, Ishida, Sado and myself will be on one team," Hitsugaya said as everyone gathered around him, "and the rest on the other team." He looked around them and towards Tatsuki and the others watching from afar. "This is when the three of you need to be the most cautious! Understood?" he shouted down to them.

A faint "Yes, sir!" could be heard from down there.

"Good. Everyone, split up." Hitsugaya motioned to his team, and they jumped back a few paces. Ichigo's team backed up as well, never taking their eyes off of the others.

The captain looked at everyone, gauging them. "Ready?" When he received seven nods, he nodded back. "Go!"

For a split second, no one did anything. Then, Ichigo and Rukia made a dash towards their opponents. Sado ran forward to meet them, and nearly collided with Ichigo as both went at each other. Rukia chanted, and fired a kidou spell at the rest of the opposing team. It forced them to jump apart, scattering them.

"Hoeru, Zabimaru!" Renji swung out his zanpakutou. Zabimaru released, and it arched out towards Hitsugaya. The younger man parried, and leapt back into the air to avoid another swing.

"Soten ni zase…" Hitsugaya pushed off from the air, and went hurtling at Renji. This wasn't a fight about tactics or strategy: it was just a good fight to let off steam. Normally, it would have been a stupid move to make, but he didn't seem to care as he shouted, "Hyourinmaru!"

The long chain of Hyourinmaru shot out, and was entangled with Zabimaru. Renji tugged, but he was at a disadvantage, especially when ice began coating Zabimaru.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" Shirayuki's pillar of ice shot out from the side, where Rukia was, and collided with Hyourinmaru. Hitsugaya was forced to release Zabimaru in order to avoid getting hit.

Renji grinned at Rukia, and she smirked back.

An arrow shot between them, making them both leap away in surprise. Ishida leapt up into the air, and fired a rain of arrows down on them. Hinamori charged at everyone on the ground in the meantime. She swung Tobiume, which was already released, and sent a fireball soaring at them.

The Santen Kesshun appeared in front of Rukia and Renji, protecting them from the attack. Rukia turned, and smiled proudly at Orihime. "Thanks."

Hinamori, undeterred, leaped and swung down at Renji. He swung Zabimaru up, knocking Hinamori back. Hitsugaya quickly went after, and caught her by the arm, steadying her and preventing her from flying back any further.

Orihime heard Ichigo curse. She glanced over, and saw Sado knock him back. "Zanten Kesshun!" she shouted, and Tsubaki soared, creating a cutting shield between the two friends, forcing each one back. He wasn't aimed with deadly force, but enough to knock them apart.

It worked. Ichigo got the time he needed, and was able to recover. He shunpoed behind Sado, and swung down. Sado blocked it with his arm, but grunted under the weight. He was now forced on the defensive. They exchanged and dodged a few blows before Sado leaped away from Ichigo, and Ishida joined him at this side.

Hitsugaya motioned to his team, and gave the signal for them to attack at once.

Rukia stepped forward, and drew Shirayuki back. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" She performed the attack, and the wave of ice sped towards her opponents, breaking their offensive line. Renji and Ichigo took advantage of the opportunity. Renji lashed out Zabimaru, forcing Sado to duck and tumble out of the way. Ichigo launched a Getsuga Tenshou, which Ishida and Hinamori only narrowly dodged.

Even scattered, Hitsugaya's team managed to recover and come at Ichigo's group from all sides. Things got extremely chaotic as attacks were fired off and swords were swung. Ichigo felt like he was trying to keep up with three different attacks when, suddenly, there was a cry of pain.

His heart seemed to freeze in his chest. His head snapped around, and found Orihime kneeling on the ground, clutching her arm. Everyone around them came to a halt. Within seconds he was at her side, crouching down to look at her wound. "How bad is it?" he asked, trying to mask his worry.

"Not bad, really! It was my fault. I went to shield Rukia-chan and Abarai-kun, and I didn't protect myself." Orihime silently called out the Soten Kesshun, and the healing shield formed over the wound.

Ichigo frowned as he clenched his fist. "Who hit you?"

"It was one of my arrows," Ishida answered in Orihime's stead. He carefully stepped towards her, never taking his eyes off of Ichigo. "Inoue-san, I'm so sorry, I-"

Ichigo went to say something to him, nothing particularly nice which he would have felt _completely _justified in saying, when Orihime stopped him. "Please don't take the blame for my carelessness, Ishida-kun. See, the wound's already healing."

Ichigo wasn't sure what he felt more: anger at Ishida for being so careless and wounding her, even though he knew that it wasn't intentional, or disappointment in himself for not being able to stop it, even though there was no way he could have prevented it.

Hitsugaya stepped forward. "I think it's time for this to end. Besides…" He looked to the south, towards the direction of the town. "I sense a Hollow or two towards town." As if on cue, his communicator beeped.

Hinamori looked over at her childhood friend, and smiled. "Why don't you and I handle them?"

Hitsugaya nodded, and glanced back at everyone. "That was good. Nice job. Let's just not get too carried away next time." He motioned for Hinamori, and the pair shunpoed towards the town.

Renji stretched, wincing when he heard an audible crack in his back. "Damn, I needed that." Zabimaru morphed back into its unreleased state, and Renji sheathed it. "And now I could go for a nice, long soak in the tub. Fat chance of that happening, though."

Orihime, her arm now healed, got on her feet. Brushing off some leaf pieces and grass from her pants, she breathed out a heavy sigh. "That really was fun. And it's a good warm-up for tomorrow." She smiled at Ichigo, but he looked away, unable to meet her stare.

"Yeah, it'll be great" was all he offered her as an evasive response.

Rukia frowned, and went to smack him over the head when Tatsuki called out to them. She turned around, and the on-lookers to the fight walked over to them. "What did you think?" she asked them.

"That was awesome!" Keigo said, "Well, before Inoue-san got injured, but it was still cool!"

Ichigo clenched his jaw, and turned his back to his friends. He didn't know that Tatsuki noticed, or that she suddenly frowned inquisitively at him.

But he did hear her say, "Hey Mizuiro, Keigo, you guys walk on home without me."

Mizuiro blinked in surprise and confusion. "Huh?"

Not addressing his confusion right away, Tatsuki turned to Ishida and Sado. "You two walk Orihime home, okay?" She then glanced at Renji and Rukia. "And while I think you two can take care of yourselves, I know Keigo and Mizuiro had some questions they wanted to ask you, if that's okay."

Rukia beamed, and nodded. "Sure! Come on, you two. We'll walk and talk."

The two boys exchanged grins, and nodded. They followed after Renji and Rukia, and wasted no time in firing off questions. Ishida cautiously walked to Orihime's side. She smiled happily at him, and nodded. Sado joined them, and the trio walked away in silence, with Orihime shouting good-bye to Tatsuki and Ichigo, and Ishida giving him an uneasy glance before looking away.

Tatsuki watched them walk off, hands in her pockets. She seemed calm, and Ichigo couldn't fathom what she intended to do. She finally turned towards him, a curious frown in her features. Ichigo glanced back at her, his usual scowl in place. After a minute of silence, Tatsuki spoke quietly, "Ichigo, we need to talk."

What had he done? Ichigo nodded and straightened his back, very unsure of Tatsuki's motives. "All right. About what?"

"You, me, Orihime… that Shinji guy." She began walking, and he fell into step alongside of her. "A lot of things, really."

Ichigo kept walking, but didn't know what to say next. He tried to think of something to say to prompt her to talk, but before his brain could conjure up an idea, she spoke.

"I don't trust him." Tatsuki crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.

Well, she was always blunt and to the point, and Ichigo knew this. Her statement still caught him off guard, and he almost stumbled. "What? Who, Shinji?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Her gaze went skyward, and she drew in a shaky breath. "In general, I do, but in regards to this whole training business, I don't like the way he's approaching it."

So, he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Shinji's extreme curiosity about Ichigo's new power sometimes unsettled him, and he did question on a few occasions if Shinji really cared about him or Orihime at all. "I don't either."

"What?" She hadn't expected the same of him, apparently. "And you're doing it anyway?"

"I'm not doing this for kicks, Tatsuki." Quite the opposite, in fact. He felt almost masochistic for deciding to do it, especially if there weren't other questions he needed answered riding on it. "Do you think I _want _to go back into that form? I brutally killed someone with it, and attacked Ishida. I don't remember how I did it exactly, and now weird stuff is happening as a result. I don't _want _to, but I have to."

"Why?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "Why, if it's not something that'll come up again?"

Ichigo frowned at her. "Come on, you don't really think that. It may very well happen again, and it's something I need closure on. And I want Inoue to have peace of mind. I think she still blames herself for the entire thing."

Tatsuki sighed, and he knew she agreed with him. "She does, I'm sure. You're right, it's a resolution you both need. But does it have to be those Vizards that help you?"

It was something else Ichigo had wondered over the past few weeks. A lot of things had been on his mind, that being one of them. "The thing is, no one knows for sure what to do. Shinji and the others are more adept with dealing with Hollow powers than anyone else, so it seems they'd be best in handling it. Not much is going to happen tomorrow, but it's a start." He couldn't falter now. He wouldn't let himself, or anyone else.

Tatsuki didn't flinch when they were hit with another cold bluster of wind. They both pressed forward. Over the wind, he barely heard her say, "You know, I had it all wrong before. I thought you weren't taking this seriously enough, and that you were just doing it for the power. I'm not sure why, to be honest. And I thought the Vizards were setting you straight. It's almost the other way around, and I'm sorry I felt that way." Tatsuki angled her head to look up at his. "Do you think it'll work? The training?"

"I have to believe it'll work, for both me and Inoue." Not believing wasn't an option. "It's scary, but if there's one thing I don't regret about the dome incident, it's that I was at least able to protect her with that form. It's the only thing that's keeping me from hating myself completely for what happened. She wasn't harmed and…" Ichigo felt his chest tighten for reasons he couldn't understand. "Yeah, I have to live with the guilt of knowing I killed someone so mercilessly, and wounding Ishida, but if Inoue was put out of harm's way, I can live with it."

He paused apprehensively when Tatsuki suddenly came to a halt. Her erratic behavior was worrying him, and he sensed there was something else beneath it all. "Tatsuki?"

He became even more concerned when she suddenly started chuckling. _The… hell? _He stepped towards her, and his arm slightly reached out towards her as the giggling turned into full blown laughter. "Uh…"

"S-sorry," she stammered when she calmed down enough to breathe and talk. "It's just, I can't believe it. It's really happening."

He blinked rapidly, not following her logic. "What is?"

"You and Orihime."

"You mean the bond thing we have going?" he asked, his expression quickly becoming confused.

She shook her head, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. "Nah. That's the last thing on my mind right now. I mean in general." She crossed her arms, but smirked smugly at him. "I didn't think you'd get it. Lemme ask you: you said you could live with what you did, since Orihime wasn't hurt. Why?"

Well, wasn't that obvious? "She's my nakama. And-and I went there to rescue her."

"So, the ends justify the means?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's not what I meant. Ishida's my nakama, too, and I wished it all happened differently." He was struggling to find and word the explanation that made sense in his head. "I told her I'd protect her, no matter what, without fail."

Her expression seemed intrigued, and Ichigo suddenly felt like he was in the spotlight. "But why her? You never swore that to anyone else, right?" Before he could answer, she raised her index finger. "Could it be," she said, speaking almost like a professor would during a lecture to his class, "for the same reason you treat her differently, and why you almost kissed her before?"

He thought his head was going to explode. "Wh-what?" He sputtered something incoherent, but he was not even sure what he tried to say. "I-I didn't-"

"Yeah, you did. When you were warming up. I saw the whole thing." Tatsuki grinned widely. "I'm not mad."

Ichigo raised his hand, ready to protest. But speech failed him, and he was left to stare blankly at Tatsuki. The problem was, she was right. He hadn't realized it at the time, but looking back, that _was _what he was trying to do. "I…"

"Ichigo." Her smile fell, and her eyes bore a serious intensity, one that made Ichigo nearly want to step back and look away. "What is she to you?"

What _was _she to him? He had always thought that she was his nakama, a dear friend, someone he swore to protect. But he was beginning to believe that he was also avoiding an answer to that question, which suddenly seemed so important, giving shallow reasons where a deeper one was required. His eyes closed, and he bowed his head, facing the ground. "I don't know anymore," he admitted hesitantly. "I…I spent a lot of time with her over the past few weeks. Things between us got weird way before then, but being in the same proximity as her as much as I have, and walking her home nearly every day…"

He got to listen to her talk, blabber on about something her imagination cooked up, or be privy to her voicing her more serious thoughts and musings out loud. In the process, he got to learn more about her than he thought possible. But it wasn't just getting to know her better over homework and books and daily walks, it was the comfort and peace he felt whenever she was near, and her uncanny ability to calm him down. Most of all, it was that, despite everything that happened, she accepted him as he was, and he never felt the pressure to be something more around her. That was something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"Feelings change, Ichigo." Tatsuki clapped her hand on his shoulder. "People change, and so do the circumstances. I'm not totally sure of what's going on or what'll happen, but I do know this: when you're around her, I see the kid I used to know, that I became best friends with."

His heart clenched. "Tatsuki-"

She shook her head. "About six years ago, things changed for you. I lost you then. Now, you're going through another period of change, and I'm going to take advantage of it." She inhaled deeply, and, her feet firmly planted and her stance stoic, she continued, "When your mom died, you drifted away. I didn't see the old you until recently, and I know an opportunity when I see it. I want to be friends, good friends, again."

His expression softened, and he spoke with uncertainty, "But I thought we were."

"Not like we used to be. A lot has happened, I know, and I get that now. I know what's going on. But we have something in common again: Orihime." Tatsuki smiled determinedly. "She's my best friend, and she's your… well, something special. We both wanna protect her, and we should. Orihime's a really good person, one of the few people out there with a pure heart. That's worth protecting. There are too many out there that would try to harm her for it. You and I both know this way too well."

Ichigo tilted his head, but half-smiled. "Definitely."

She held out her hand. "Let's protect her together, then. I can protect her from Chizuru and everyday stuff. The little things, you know? You gotta protect her from the really scary stuff, things way out of my league." Her expression became grim. "And tomorrow, I want you to not let Shinji use her. Lay down the ground rules, and don't you dare let them push her around for their own curiosity."

"Like I would." Ichigo grasped her hand in his. "Partners?"

She grinned. "Yeah. Partners, I like the sound of that." She squeezed his hand, a sign of friendship and partnership. Something had been lost between them, but the pact they formed would hopefully help them find it. She didn't know for sure if this would work, but her heart and her gut told her so, and for now, that was good enough for her. 


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you **chuchootrain, war90, COAIM, Lyhime, x3Sn0w, aki6, Yanaril, Twix10, Demonbloodfeeder, anthem2521, Emuri, and Nel **(little extra thanks to you for your advice. I had forgotten about that!). I love you guys so much! Your reviews are wonderfully appreciated. It's fun to read everyone's suggestions, ideas, and questions. I can't really answer the latter, but they give me good insight and occasionally remind me to clarify things! **PerennialLurker, **my kickass beta, also gets her major and special thanks, especially with this chapter. She made some valid points, and she's the reason these chapters (and this story) aren't too nuts.

It's the eighth chapter already! I am totally hoping to have 100 reviews by the time I put up Chapter 11, but that might be pushing it.

Anyway, review and lemme know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Training Day #1: It's a two-way street_

Orihime was feeling troubled. Not worried, because that would imply something was wrong. She was simply troubled. The world was not as it had been, and she did not know why. It wasn't the thought of training with Ichigo (due to begin today, and how her cheeks glowed when she remembered), which could safely be classified as your common or garden type nerves.

No. It was Tatsuki.

The martial artist was her best friend, and Orihime felt confident enough in their friendship to say that she knew her quite well. Enough to know all her little habits, like when she was hiding something or when something was bothering her, and her personal matters, such as past regrets. Ichigo was one such example. Being his best friend, if only for a few fleeting years, was something Tatsuki had cherished, and that's why the rift that had grown between the two left a deep scar on her heart.

Whenever the two teenagers talked, Inoue could all but see an unnamed tension between them. Thick, heavy, and coated with idle banter and light, pleasant conversations that belied the unspoken problems and withheld truths that were itching to come out, but yet couldn't. The tension was more obvious at certain points than others, but Orihime could always feel it.

At least, until that day. When she arrived at school with Hitsugaya and Hinamori, she didn't initially sense anything different about Tatsuki and Ichigo. They met her at the front doors, and had been chatting before she came. It wasn't until they began walking down the halls that she first noticed it. The tension was still faintly there, but drained. Like a blister that had been popped, and the disgusting gunk had been cleaned out; still not perfect, and slightly painful, but at last the healing process could begin.

If she was starting to compare her friends' relationships to blisters, Orihime knew she must be really nervous. Her imagination didn't usually run in that direction.

Ugly metaphors aside, she had no doubt that something changed between the two of them. Their usual bantering seemed heartfelt and relaxed, and Orihime was sure that at one point, in the middle of her telling them in full detail the dream she had about a war between staplers and origami figurines, they shared a secretive, knowing smile that she could not decipher.

She had considered pulling Tatsuki aside at lunch and asking, but then she thought better of it. It was none of her business. That, and Ichigo had sampled yet another one of her concoctions, and his pleased response had sent her into a long, euphoric verbal gush. By the time she remembered what she wanted to do, it was too late.

Besides, she had something much more pressing to focus on, and when she met Shinji and Ichigo outside after school, she knew it was time to focus.

"Looks like we're all here." Shinji slung his bag over his shoulder, and motioned with his head for them to follow. "I hope you two are ready."

They both nodded, but Ichigo was the first to verbally answer, "What exactly are we doing today?"

Orihime waited in suspense for Shinji's answer as he led them away from the school grounds. She held her books to her chest tightly, and worried her bottom lip. A million questions and scenarios were running through her mind. What if they were going to start right away? Would she be ready and able to do this? Would Ichigo? What if they _did _succeed? What if her being able to stop him on the dome was a fluke, and he wouldn't listen this time? There were so many ways in which it could go wrong.

The Vizard finally craned his head around and said, "Fill you in when we get closer. First, I gotta ask ya something per Urahara's request."

Ichigo frowned. "What about?"

Orihime listened quietly as Shinji explained, "Well, he wants to know if any of your stuff's been gone through. Like, someone was shufflin' through your crap, lookin' for something. Or anything else unusual."

It was a strange question. Orihime and Ichigo met the other's gaze, both equally as confused and contemplative. Ichigo shoved the hand not holding his school bag into his pocket, his scowl deepening as he looked at Shinji. "Mine hasn't been."

Orihime's forehead creased as she thought over the past few days. Nothing seemed out of place, and with two shinigami living under her roof, Orihime highly doubted anyone would have been able to do so without notice. "No, I'm pretty sure mine hasn't been, either. I would think Hitsugaya-taichou or Hinamori-san would have known, otherwise." She nodded to herself, and asked Shinji, "Why does Urahara-san want to know?"

With the school already far behind them, they trekked through the streets, and Shinji lowered his voice. "Remember last week, when Tousen showed up and Yoruichi and I gave chase?"

Ichigo tucked his chin, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah, I remember. He got away."

"Unfortunately," Shinji muttered under his breath. "Right. Yeah, well, the reason Yoruichi was after 'im and all that jazz was because she and Urahara found him pilferin' through the Shouten. He was lookin' for something while the two of 'em were out. Tessai had gone down the street, and Ururu and Jinta were outside when they heard somethin' crash inside the shop." Shinji shrugged his jacket closer to him, and his face set into a frown. "They stumbled on him shufflin' through some of Urahara's papers. He cornered them with his zanpakutou, and hell knows what woulda happened if Urahara and Yoruichi didn't walk in."

It was easy to fill in the rest from there. "So," Orihime winced at the thought of the two children with a sword pointed at their necks, "they went for him, and he escaped and Yoruichi-san went after him?"

"Exactly. Then he came across us, and you know the rest."

"Wait," Ichigo said, "isn't that guy blind?"

Shinji suddenly glanced to the side, and Orihime idly wondered if he was going to try to avoid answering when he hesitantly replied, "Well, yeah, that's the other strange part of it. According to Urahara, Ururu sensed two separate reiatsu, but when they walked in, only Tousen was there. It makes sense that _someone _with sight was with him, but they don't know who. It wasn't Ichimaru. Either way, Urahara wasn't happy at all, but a couple days later he said he was handlin' it. Wouldn't go into details."

"That can't be a good thing," Ichigo said from months of experience in dealing with Urahara.

"That's _never _a good thing," Shinji corrected, drawing on his _years'_ worth of experience. "But it's his shop, so if he says it's okay, then that's his deal. We've got our own crap to worry about."

"Right, the training." Orihime noticed that they were out of the main part of town and into the warehouse section. With no one around, they were free to talk openly. "Are we going to be doing much?" she asked.

Shinji grinned that well-known smile that Orihime found sort of funny (but a different sort of funny than how she thought of Ichigo's scowl), and he shrugged a shoulder. "That kinda depends on yer definition of 'much': we ain't gonna be doin' anythin' really extreme. We're mainly just gonna see where you two stand in terms of power to get a basic idea. Lot of fightin' and runnin' around, that's about it."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Orihime said thoughtfully.

They approached the Vizards' warehouse, but before Shinji called to anyone inside to let them in, Ichigo asked, "What exactly do you intend to do?"

Shinji seemed surprise by his question, but the look quickly disappeared, replaced with a smirk. "Just like we did with ya last month. Fight ya and test out your abilities. Hachi wants to see Orihime-chan's powers in person, and then we wanted to spar with you two a bit, to see how well you fight together." He raised his index finger before he was pummeled with more questions. "You two need to learn to work together and be in sync if you're gonna call out this Hollow form and control it."

It was a compelling enough of a reason for Orihime, and secretly, she reveled in the thought of getting to work with Ichigo. Hadn't her wish been to fight alongside of him, instead of watching his back in battle? Now was her chance. If she could, she would have hugged Shinji tightly and thanked him profusely. "Can't wait!" It was a tame response, but necessary. And loads more appropriate.

Suddenly, the warehouse door opened with a loud, protesting moan. Shinji's face fell in slight surprise, his eyes blinking as the door finished opening. In the threshold stood a very annoyed Hiyori, bearing a twitching eye and a scowl. "The hell are ya three doing? We've been waitin' for you and I find you blabbing outside!"

Shinji threw his hands up in the air, nearly sending his school books flying. "They had questions!"

"And you couldn't answer them just as easily _inside_?" Hiyori reached out and yanked Shinji by the collar. As she dragged him inside, she shouted over her shoulder at the two teenagers, managing to drown out Shinji's cursing protests. "Don't just stand there you dolts! Get in!"

They both hurried after her, and Hiyori threw the switch that controlled the door. It slowly began to close behind their retreating backs. Orihime glanced behind her, and as the door finally shut with an almost ominous thud, her heart rate accelerated. _Nerves. We're going to be fine, _she mentally chided.

She gasped softly when she felt a warm hand lay on her shoulder. She flushed when Ichigo smiled softly at her, and the comfort contained within settled her jittery nerves.

Her Kurosaki-kun was with her. What did she have to worry about?

Well, lots of things, she reminded herself as they walked down the stairs to the Vizards' training arena, but nothing that would be happening on the first day.

Hiyori was still dragging Shinji when Kensei's voice echoed from below, snapping at her to let him go. She did, but the sudden change in momentum didn't let Shinji regain his balance, and he went tumbling down the stairs. He crashed unceremoniously at the bottom.

Orihime and Ichigo stepped down the stairs. Orihime muted a gasp at the sight of Shinji's tangled limbs and the homicidal look he was giving Hiyori. Ichigo, on the other hand, was trying his best not to laugh.

Love grabbed Shinji by the back of his shirt and hefted him up, disentangling him and setting him back on his feet. Nodding in thanks, Shinji fixed his disheveled bob of blond hair before glaring mildly at Kensei. "Time it a little better next time, will ya?"

Kensei merely rolled his eyes.

"Berry-tan! Orihime!" Mashiro greeted in her typical cheery manner. "It's been so long! And, uh…" She tip-toed quickly to Kensei, and whispered, "Why are they here again?"

His eye twitched, and his body shook in rage. "For the millionth time, Mashiro, they're here to _train!_"

"Give it up," Riza muttered under her breath. She stepped out from behind Kensei, and hastily approached the two teenagers. Her braid hanging over her shoulder, she bent forward slightly and her eyes moved back and forth between them. Then she straightened and addressed Orihime. "You sure you want to fight in that?" She gestured to her school uniform.

Orihime nervously straightened out her skirt, and nodded. "Yeah. I like fighting in this better, sometimes. The skirt's easier to move around in."

Riza smirked. "Heh. I like your style. All right, you two drop your bags somewhere, and you," she nodded to Ichigo, "get into your shinigami form." She turned on her heel, and as Orihime and Ichigo placed their stuff against a rock, she asked, "Hey, Shinji. Who we starting with first?"

"Well, unless Ichigo is still only at 11 seconds-"

"I'm _not_," Ichigo cut in, glaring at him.

"-which I damn well hope not, we're gonna start with Orihime-chan, since hers should take the least amount of time." Shinji cocked an eyebrow at the healer. "Ya up for it?"

Her face was set and determined, but somehow she still looked cheerful. "Yes! I'm ready whenever you are."

Ichigo pressed his badge against his thigh, and popped out in his shinigami form. He aimed a stern frown in the general direction of the Vizards. "Listen, don't-"

" 'Go hard on her?'" Riza finished, drawing out her zanpakutou. "Yes, we know. You're so predictable." She got into a battle stance, and nodded to Orihime. "Three abilities, right? Which one first?"

The schoolgirl placed a finger to her lips before deciding, "Santen Kesshun." On cue, the triangular shield formed in front of her. "It's a shield."

Riza twirled her sword. "Right." Without a further word of warning, she darted at Orihime, and swung Haguro Tonbo out in a wide arc at the shield. It was instantly repelled, and Riza skirted back. "Hm." Wasting no time, she went at her again, this time unleashing a barrage of swings on the Santen Kesshun.

The second she stopped, she flash-stepped behind Orihime, and swung down. Orihime barely managed to bring the shield around in time to repel the attack.

Riza smirked, and after a nod of approval, pulled on her mask. Orihime spaced her feet apart, with a concentrated frown etched into her expression. The Vizard was on her in an instant, trying one attack against the shield, and then a series of them. The Santen Kesshun held.

Leaping back, the former vice-captain's eyes slightly narrowed behind the mask. She outstretched her palm, and a Cero formed in the center. It hardly gave everyone else enough time to jump out of the way before it fired. It slammed straight into Orihime's shield. The younger woman gritted her teeth, but pushed back as hard as she could. It wasn't until the end that her shield broke. The Cero's force sent her flying back, tumbling once before Ichigo caught her.

"_Yeesh, _Riza," Shinji muttered as he brushed off dirt from his shirt. "Wanna warn us next time?"

Meanwhile, Ichigo set Orihime on her feet as he checked her for damage. Along her left thigh was a long scrape, with a near matching counterpart stretched out across her left cheek. Orihime clutched her arm, wincing as she moved it from side to side.

Hachi sighed. "Well, Inoue-san, I suppose this is a good time to display your healing abilities."

She nodded to him, and the Soten Kesshun was silently called out. It covered the entire left side of her body. A few moments passed, and then the scrapes began to disappear, along with the parts of her uniform that had been damaged. Not even 30 seconds later, she was completely healed and her clothes were intact.

Riza quietly walked up to her as she removed her mask. "Couldn't even tell anything happened," she commented as she took a closer look at Orihime's handiwork.

"You got an offensive ability, right?" Hiyori asked Orihime, frowning as per usual.

She nodded hesitantly. "Yes but, um, I'm not very good with using him."

Riza beckoned with her hand as she took several steps back. "Let it out on me, I'll be fine."

Orihime closed her eyes, and breathed deeply before calling out, "Tsubaki! Kanten Zesshun, I reject!"

The black-clothed fairy zipped at Riza, but she was easily able to dodge. He went right at a large rock, and sliced it in two. Orihime sighed as Tsubaki circled back and returned to the hairpin.

"Well, we know what needs work then," Shinji said with a shrug. "You could probably work on your shield even more if you wanted to, and especially that last ability." When she glanced at him questioningly, he sighed. "It may help."

"It'll be our project," Hachi told her encouragingly. "No worries."

"Right." Shinji crooked a finger at Ichigo. "You're up next. Who's got the timer?"

Rose drew a stopwatch from his pocket. "It's here."

Shinji pulled out his sword. "Pull it on, kid. Ya don't need to be in bankai."

It felt strange, Ichigo noted, fighting with his mask on and only being in shikai. It made sense, though, since he used his Hollow powers as a last resort. He lifted his hand over his face, and summoned his mask. Suddenly feeling nervous, he quickly glanced at Orihime, who was sitting off to the side with Hachi. She caught him staring at her, but only smiled sweetly in return.

Something in his stomach felt like it was fluttering, and he nearly smiled back. However, Shinji had other plans. Ichigo barely had time to grab Zangetsu and block his attack. He swung back, feeling rather irritated. It didn't help Shinji was wearing a shit-eating grin.

"No distractions, Ichigo!" he chided playfully as he drove Ichigo back towards the wall. "Even if it is a pretty girl." Even though Shinji donned a Hollow mask as well, Ichigo could see him wink.

He shunpoed away from Shinji, cursing under his breath for feeling so flustered. "I was making sure she wasn't uncomfortable with me pulling on my mask!"

"Uh-huh," Shinji replied, his tone disbelieving, "but I don't blame ya in the least." He darted after Ichigo, swinging at him repeatedly as the substitute shinigami kept dodging. "Hell, she's cute and got a smile to die fer. I probably woulda made a move if-"

Ichigo slammed Zangetsu against Shinji, and even with the older Vizard blocking the attack, the force sent him rolling into a large rock. The teenager glared in Shinji's direction through his partially breaking mask.

"-you weren't so damn overprotective of 'er. I hereby rest my case." Shinji was laughing as he pried himself off of the boulder. "My my, you _are _the jealous type."

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo snapped, flash-stepping towards him and lashing out with his sword.

Shinji dodged. He retaliated with an attack of his own, which Ichigo met with Zangetsu. Holding his sword against Ichigo's, Shinji leaned in. He glanced around as if to make sure the coast was clear before whispering conspiratorially, "Ya know, maybe you should just ask her out and get it over with."

Ichigo nearly dropped Zangetsu. "Wh-what? No-! She – she's my-"

"_What is she to you?" _Tatsuki's words rang in his head, and he found himself unable to answer. Hadn't he admitted he wasn't sure anymore? If Tatsuki was asking him that, and if Shinji was making hints about it, then would lying about it do any good?

A deep chuckle brought him out of his reverie. Shinji clapped him on the shoulder before leaping up and away from him, landing gracefully on top of a rock closer to where the others were. "Don't act so shocked! Deny it if ya want, but," he grinned widely, "we know you're gonna do it eventually."

Ichigo stared at him, dumbfounded, and it wasn't until Orihime innocently asked, "Do what?" that he snapped out of it. He had to cover it up before Shinji could open his mouth and landed him in a big mess.

He swung Zangetsu back, and decided to take the violent approach. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Shinji hooted in laughter as he dodged the powerful Tenshou. But Ichigo wasted no time in going after him, and was determined to keep him quiet as he chased and fought him all around the room.

Before he knew it, his mask broke, and he stumbled to a halt. Rose clicked the timer, and nodded. "A little over 15 minutes. Pretty big improvement."

"'_Pretty big?'_" Hiyori rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement. At least he improved. I woulda kicked his ass if he didn't."

Ignoring her, only because he didn't feel like receiving an unnecessary smack from her sandal, Ichigo dusted off his shihakusho. "So, what's next?"

"Teamwork," Shinji answered, sheathing his sword. "This is what we're gonna be focusing on after today. You two should work on coordination before trying anything… big." He then asked his friends, "Who wants to work 'em?"

Love stepped forward. "I'll do it." He glanced over at the pair in training. "I won't use my mask, but shikai is in bounds. Got it?"

They both nodded.

"Good. Let's roll. And oh, Ichigo," Love frowned at him. "you get over-protective and try to take me on alone, I'll take you down without hesitation."

Okay, that was the second time he was called over-protective in less than a half hour. "I am _not _over-protective! I-"

He was suddenly pulled back, and the sound of Orihime chuckling nervously filled his ears. "It's okay, Kurosaki-kun. It's a compliment!"

"Compliment my ass!" Ichigo struggled as Orihime tugged on his shihakusho and kept pulling him back.

Shinji quietly stepped up next to Love. "Just go for 'em," he muttered. "Ya'll be waitin' forever, otherwise."

Love needed no further pushing. He shunpoed at the two, and raised his sword. "Crush, Tengumaru!"

Ichigo only had a moment to be surprised before the Santen Kesshun was up. The large, spiked weapon crashed against it. The substitute shinigami leapt back, taking Orihime with him. He smirked as he swung Zangetsu out. "Looks like we're starting. The hell is that, a cactus?"

"Tch." Love leapt up into the air. "You wish!"

Ichigo brought Zangetsu up, and blocked the attack. He strained beneath the weight, and tried to force Tengumaru to the side. Love swung back, and then struck Ichigo from the side. The younger Vizard dodged, and cursed as Love came in for another attack.

Orihime's shield was up in front of him again. Love turned to see where she was, and was surprised with a high flying kick from the side. He was sent rolling and tumbling for a few yards, cursing the whole way.

"Damn," Shinji murmured as Love recovered. "I didn't know Orihime-chan knew martial arts." His face was blank in surprise.

"She seems pretty adept at it, too." Riza crossed her arms, her expression unreadable as she watched the sparring continue. "I wonder who taught her."

Hiyori leaned against a rock, looking bored. "Why doesn't she use her attack? Kicks aren't gonna hurt Love much."

Hachi peacefully folded his hands together. "The Zanten Kesshun is designed to be a one-hit kill technique, from what I can see. I understand her hesitance to use it in a sparring match. Furthermore, her powers are based on her will, from what she told me. Orihime is just not an offensive fighter, although she's expressed the desire to improve on it. Ironically, until she does improve her use of the Zanten Kisshun, I was going to suggest to her to learn martial arts, or carry a weapon."

"Carry a weapon?" Kensei echoed. "I can't see her doing that, to be honest."

Their conversation was interrupted with a large crash. The Getsuga Tenshou that Ichigo released obliterated a boulder, and it forced Love to leap out of the way. Ichigo then nodded to Orihime, who then called out Tsubaki. Love had to dodge a second time, and Ichigo was able to get behind him and attack. The force of Zangetsu's swing sent Love crashing to the ground, followed by a cloud of dust emanating from where he landed.

"S-sorry Love!" Orihime cried out apologetically.

"Heh." He got to his feet, brushing off his clothes. "You two are a better team than I thought." He swung Tengumaru around in the air. "I'm not gonna hold back now." He charged at them, smiling in anticipation. "Here I come!"

Ichigo ran at him, meeting his assault head-on. As they exchanged blows, Hiyori raised her brow. "Looks like she did use it."

"As a distraction, more like," Riza amended. "Still, not a completely bad use. And you know, I thought we would be yelling at Ichigo by now. He's actually working with her."

Mashiro suddenly appeared behind Kensei. "Hiya! How're they doing? Is Berry-tan behaving?"

Kensei's eye twitched. "The hell you been, Mashiro?"

Shinji ignored the former captain and vice-captain pair as he glanced at Riza. "Yeah, well, he also knows Love wouldn't really do anythin' to hurt 'er, so-"

"Son of a bitch!" Ichigo cursed as Tengumaru smacked into Orihime and him. He was sent on a collision course with the ground. Trying to shake off the shock from the impact, Ichigo scrambled to his feet. "Damn it! Inoue, where-"

A shadow came from above, and he froze as Love raised Tengumaru, and shouted, "Hifuki no Kozuichi!"

Mashiro covered her eyes. "That's gonna hurt!"

Rose called out to Love, warning him to stop, but it was too late. Love released the attack, and Ichigo braced himself.

Meanwhile, Orihime had cushioned her fall with her shield, but the impact still jarred against her skull, making her teeth rattle. She heard shouting, though it sounded as though it were coming from strangely far away. Her gut clenched...

_Something's wrong. Danger. Look behind you!_

The voiceless words tugged at her, and time seemed to stand still. Confusion reigned, and then a voice, which she had never heard before and yet sounded like a familiar friend broke through her thoughts. _"Queen! Shield, _now_!"_

Instinct made her call out the Santen Kesshun, and her fairies somehow knew exactly where to go. Everything then sped by in a blur as the sharp sound of impact and the strong scent of fire lingered in the air.

_What - what just happened?_

Orihime turned around. Ichigo was kneeling of the floor, Zangetu poised above him. Her shield was hovering over him, a repellant to the flames that lingered from the tip of Tengumaru.

Love pulled back. His gaze met hers questioningly, but she had no answers for him.

"Inoue-san." Hachi strolled over to her, and for some reason, he looked concerned. His eyes were slightly wide, and he was hesitant as he reached out to her. "Are you all right? You're deathly pale."

_I am? _Her fingertips barely skimmed her face. She didn't feel like she was about to faint. She just felt lost. "I…"

Ichigo was by them in a flash. He knelt down to her, the lines in his face creasing in worry. "Inoue?"

The room's occupants gathered around Orihime. She shook her head. She didn't understand what happened, but maybe her powers would. "Lily, Baigon, Hinagiku."

The shield dissipated as the three fairies flew over to her. She stared up at them as they met her gaze, looking mildly guilty. "Orihime-san," Lily murmured.

Their master clutched her hands together. "Um, guys, what just happened?"

The trio exchanged a secretive look before glancing back at her. "What do you mean?"

She was going to sound like she had really lost her mind. "Whose voice was it that I heard?"

Orihime's other hairpin glowed, and the other half of the Shun Shun Rikka emerged. Tsubaki looked exceptionally cross as he shook his fist at Orihime. "_Now _you're finally seeing what's been happening!"

"_What's _been happening?" Ichigo demanded.

Tsubaki pulled down on the right side of his scarf. "Ask your Hollow."

Orihime leaned forward apprehensively. "Is that a tattoo?"

"No," Shun-ou said as she pulled up her sleeve. "It's a brand. We all have them."

It was there, more clearly shown on Shun-ou's arm. A Hollow's mask.

Mashiro's mouth dropped. "That looks like Berry-tan's mask!"

Orihime's hands drifted over her mouth, covering part of her shocked expression. "N-no way. How did this…?"

"The dome?" Shinji proposed. He sighed when Tsubaki nodded in confirmation. "Figured."

"What does this mean?" Hachi quietly asked the fairies.

Shun-ou clasped her tiny hands. "It could mean a lot of things. Orihime-san, you said you heard a voice?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I don't know who." She had a feeling, but one she wasn't confident enough to express just yet.

Tsubaki sighed, and pulled his scarf back up. "That Hollow has more answers than we do. We'll try and get more out of him soon."

Ichigo furrowed his brow. "What? How?"

But the Rikka didn't answer. They simply went back into their hairpins. Orihime touched the pins. "It's not like them to be so secretive," she said quietly.

"This is starting to piss me off," Ichigo grumbled.

"I think that makes ten of us," Shinji said, his tone exasperated. "Now that we've had our daily dose of weird, it's time we stopped." He pointed a skinny finger at Ichigo. "Listen to that black fairy and talk to your Hollow. I mean it, and do it soon." His usual laidback attitude was gone, and with good reason. "And in the meantime, both of you get some rest."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I plan to. Come on, Inoue," he looked down at his friend, "let's head back."

Orihime smiled at the Vizards and, with some force, cheerily said, "Thank you! See you tomorrow at school, Shinji-kun!"

Ichigo waved to them as he walked towards his body. "Yeah, thanks. See ya later, guys."

Orihime hurried towards him as he stepped into his body, then stopped suddenly and turned back. "And sorry about all of… that! U-um, if you still want, we can set up the next date tomorrow?"

Shinji smiled comfortingly. "Of course! Wouldn't stop now for the world!" he answered in lieu of the others' silence.

"Shall we begin next time, Orihime-san?" Hachi called out after her.

"O-oh, definitely!" she agreed as she picked up her school bag. "Thanks again! I- oh!" She nearly fell over to the side with the added weight of her bag, but she managed to stay upright. She waved enthusiastically before haphazardly climbing up the stairs, her bag swinging around and threatening to throw her off balance.

Ichigo nodded to them again before taking the steps two at a time, hurrying after Orihime.

When they were out of sight, Shinji rubbed a hand over his face. "Fuckin' hell."

"Still 'curious?'" Rose asked.

"I never was just curious." Shinji propped his zanpakutou against a rock, before leaning against it himself. "Call it a code word for 'worried.' And now I have even more reason to be."

Riza regarded Shinji thoughtfully. "You think this could be trouble?"

"I don't know what to think of it, that's the problem." Shinji scratched his head. "When this all started, I was just curious. I didn't think this was anything _bad_, and Orihime-chan and Ichigo were gonna be fine."

Kensei raised a brow. "But?"

Shinji met his stare, looking at him like he was a loon. "Haven't you guys wondered what this might mean for us? Or what it'll do to them?" He threw his arms out in a wild gesture. "I mean, for the love of the gods, Orihime-chan's now hearin' voices!"

Love seemed slightly taken aback from what he said. "You mean, you think this could happen to any of us?"

"And hearing voices isn't usually a good thing, either," Rose added.

"We don't have our own Orihime-chan, but there's no reason to believe that kind of beast isn't inside us, too." Shinji lifted his index finger. "I want us to continue with the laidback attitude, as to not worry 'em, but I think it's time we took it more seriously in secret." He glanced towards the stairs. "I didn't want to end it so soon, but she's exhausted, and we need to rethink tactics."

Hiyori leaned her head back, and thumped it against a rock. "Great. That means we need to pay Urahara a visit, doesn't it?"

Shinji only sighed, and nodded.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime finally broke the silence that lingered between them since they started their journey home.

Ichigo made a small sound, indicating he was listening.

"Um," Orihime struggled to find the right words, worried about how Ichigo might react to what she wanted to talk about. "y-your Hollow. What's he like?"

She blinked as he nearly stumbled. For a moment, she mused that usually it was she who was tripping and being caught off guard. With her seemingly endless patience, she waited while Ichigo fought to restore his cool exterior. He scratched his head, messing up his already wild hair, and for a minute, he didn't answer.

Then, he said, "It's just like any other Hollow, but smarter. It's an asshole. Lives by instinct and its own selfish wants."

Orihime nodded. "I see. What's he look like?"

If he was stunned by her continued line of questioning, he hid it. "Mirror image of me, except inverted colors. White shihakusho with black underneath, white hair, white skin, black and yellow eyes, blue tongue…"

A giggle escaped her, and she smacked her hand over her mouth to stifle the rest from coming. "S-sorry! I just – I wasn't expecting that."

Ichigo frowned slightly, replacing his usual scowl. "Why?"

"Well, I just didn't think that Hollows had different colored tongues." She tapped her finger against her mouth. "Then again, maybe that isn't so surprising."

Ichigo shook his head, and scratched it again, that time more nervously. "Er, I didn't mean that, exactly. I – I meant more why did you want to know stuff about the Hollow?"

"Oh." Orihime clutched her hands together as they held her school bag, and gazed skyward. "Well, I was just thinking that, since he's a part of this, I should know more about him. Maybe it would help in some way. He-" She pursed her lips together. "I mean, well, what does he call you? You're both 'Ichigo,' unless he doesn't see it like that? I – I'm sorry, it's a weird question." _Why did I just ask that? Am I just over thinking this? I just want to understand his frame of mind better, but still…_

"King." Ichigo lifted his bag onto his shoulder. "Don't ask, it's a stupid metaphor."

If she had been in a better frame of mind, Orihime could have sworn air-sucking aliens sapped the breath from her body. _King? The voice in my head called me 'Queen.' _She forced herself to keep walking, to keep acting curious. _That voice, was it…?_

"Um, Kurosaki-kun, doesn't your Hollow have a name?" she asked, fiercely fighting the panic that tried to seep into her voice, and desperate to get her mind off of the possibility just presented. The Hollow's name was something she had wondered about, and it was the first thing she thought of to distract herself.

"What?" Ichigo looked at her as if she had just sprouted wings and declared herself a fairy. "No. It's just my Hollow, a part of my powers."

Orihime frowned slightly, and she felt a little sorry for the Hollow, though she wasn't quite willing to divulge that to Ichigo. "But what about Zangetsu?" she pressed.

He fell silent again, and Orihime briefly wondered if she had gone too far. "Oh, um, I'm sor-"

"You're right." Ichigo crossed his arms. "As much as I may not like it, you're right."

Unsure if he was upset or not, Orihime cautiously nodded. "Well, how about we give him one?"

"Eh?"

She laughed, and flung out her arms as she skipped past the warehouses. She temporarily forgot about her earlier realization. "Give him a name! Maybe he'll be more willing to help if you give him one!"

"How'll that do any good? That'll just feed his ego," he said, jogging after her.

"Well," Orihime slowed down, giving Ichigo a chance to catch up. "maybe that's only a part of it. It's also about respect." She spun and faced Ichigo, beaming. "Give him something to call his own."

She was met with silence. It was then she began to understand the relationship Ichigo had with his Hollow, or perhaps the lack thereof. It wasn't a willing partnership. He was in a situation forced on him. He despised but needed his Hollow. So, it was reasonable that Ichigo wasn't fond of acknowledging his Hollow in such a way, and why he was so hesitant to go along with this.

Maybe she was encroaching on territory that she shouldn't, but she felt it was best if Ichigo tried to come to some agreement with his Hollow. If anything, for his sake.

"I can't think of anything," Ichigo admitted after long moments of silence.

"Hmm…" It wasn't easy. What _did _one name a Hollow? Orihime wasn't sure how the Arrancar under Aizen got their names. Was it just something they thought of, or was it from some distant memory?

If all else failed, look to appearance. _Kurosaki-kun said his Hollow was just like him, but white. _

She was onto something, she could feel it on the tip of her tongue. Hinamori called Hitsugaya "Shiro-chan" once. It was an old nickname, the captain explained later, dating from their childhood. No doubt because of his white hair. _Shiro, white. White hair, just like Hitsugaya-taichou. White skin, white shihakusho… I just, I can't get it. I want to help Kurosaki-_

_Wait…_

"Shirosaki."

"Huh?"

Orihime clapped her hands together. "Yes! How about Shirosaki? Your name is Kurosaki. Kuro and shiro. So,Shirosaki."

Ichigo stared at her, transfixed. "Sh-Shirosaki?"

Her smile fell. "You don't like it?"

"I do, I think. I just – I just never gave it that much attention before, so it's weird. I guess I'm still trying to comprehend the point." He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced away.

The process of getting him to come to terms with his Hollow was going to be a long one, she could tell. "I know you don't like Shirosaki-kun, but he's a part of you. While I understand why you don't like him, and you don't have to use my name for him, I respect him because he's a part of you." She flushed. A nagging voice told her that what she was going to say was embarrassing, but she pressed on regardless.

"I want to help and support you, and the only way I can is to accept every part of you. Even if it's an aspect you hate of yourself, even if you loathe it, I – I can't, and I won't. I don't like what he's done to you, what you've gone through, but he's integral to you, to everything, so I accept him, too."

She wanted to wince and smack herself. _Did that even make sense? I just, I can't say that I accept him because he's a part of Kurosaki-kun, and I love all parts of him. This _really _wouldn't be a good time to say something like that, and-_

Orihime didn't know just when or how it happened. One moment, Ichigo was still staring at her, stupefied, and the next he was holding her. Her heart rate sped up, and she swore it was beating hard and fast enough for him to feel. "Kurosaki-kun?" she squeaked.

"I…" Physically, he was still, but Orihime could sense something inside him shaking. The way she felt his chin against her shoulder move up and down as his mouth opened and shut repeatedly, and the way his fingers clutched and pulled her sweater, reaching for something that wasn't there.

Her arms wrapped loosely around his lower back. "It's okay," she whispered. It was an attempt at comfort, and a guess at what was bothering him. She knew he wasn't adept at putting emotions into words. She smiled when she felt him relax, and took the moment of peace to enjoy his warmth. _It's okay, Kurosaki-kun. You say a lot without words. _She wanted to tell him that, but didn't. She hoped her gesture conveyed it without her having to say anything, either.

A peculiar sensation tingled in her scalp. Her hair moved erratically, even though there was hardly a breeze. Ichigo's arm shifted, and Orihime suddenly realized that his fingers were moving. _Is – is he playing with my hair?_

Her body stilled, and she continued to say nothing, not wanting to alert him. _How odd. But, then, Kurosaki-kun has been acting differently lately. _A lot of things had changed about the boy in her arms. Those few weeks she spent with him doing homework had provided her with numberless small revelations about him. His mannerisms, his work habits, his thoughts about his family, and so much more.

In those few weeks, she had learned more about him than she had in months. There were no grand epiphanies, but she walked out of it with a much clearer overall understanding of him. And somehow, though she didn't think it was possible, she had fallen a little more in love with him.

His behavior as of late confused her. How often he touched her, and the way he treated her. Hitsugaya's words still echoed in the back of her mind, along with Rukia's cryptic message from the night the two of them talked. What was she to make of it? _I wish I knew what was going on._

"_Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!_"

The pair leapt back from each other as Ichigo's Hollow pager sounded off. As he fumbled to take it out, Orihime's gaze swept the skies. To the north, she saw a Garganta, and what poured out of it froze her once rapidly beating heart. "Kurosaki-kun," she said, her voice strangled.

He glanced up. He looked at where she was looking, and muttered, "Oh shit."

* * *

Rukia was already out of her gigai by the time she flew out of Ichigo's bedroom window. The gikongai that was controlling her body was inside the house and watching over the family, as per Rukia's instructions.

The tiny shinigami bounded towards the nearest tall building. She leapt, and bounced off of it, and used the momentum to propel her up into the air. Sode no Shirayuki was drawn from its sheath, ready to strike. Rukia ran towards the Hollows, undeterred by the sheer number of them.

She sensed Renji coming from the Shouten, and Hitsugaya and Hinamori from Orihime's house, not far behind her. Ishida and Chad were going towards each other, and Ichigo and Orihime were already together and also heading for the few dozen garden-variety Hollows that were paying them a visit.

Gin and Tousen were standing inside the Garganta, but before any of the shinigami or humans in town could reach them, the rip shut.

"Damn it!" Renji cursed as he jumped up towards Rukia.

"We had no chance of getting them," Hitsugaya murmured as he ran alongside Momo. "Still, what is this, a test?"

Six of the fighters converged mid-air as the Hollow swarm approached. Weapons drawn, everyone tensed, and then hurled themselves towards the thick of the stampede.

Arrows were fired and Hollows were punched and sliced as the team tried to work through the mass. They were bitten, clawed, and smacked, and each one of them sustained injuries, most relatively minor.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

The black arc of energy severed a few of the Hollows in half. Ichigo came from behind, Orihime on his back. His feet stepped onto an invisible platform of spirit energy he used to keep himself up, and Orihime jumped off and landed next to him.

"Took ya long enough!" Renji shouted in mock anger.

Ichigo jammed Zangetsu into the mask of one of the Hollows. "Where the hell did these come from?"

"Tousen and Ichimaru were in the Garganta that they were released from," Rukia answered as she sliced through a smaller Hollow.

"What?" Ichigo exclaimed as he dodged an attack.

"We couldn't have reached them in time," Hitsugaya added, his tone calm as Hyourinmaru cut through an opponent.

Ishida fired an arrow, which tore through the two enemies facing him. Then suddenly, the Hollows scattered. "They're dispersing!" the Quincy noted in alarm.

Hinamori frowned in determination. "Everyone, pick a direction and go after them!"

They paired up, and each pair went off after the various subgroups that were fleeing. Ichigo chased after the Hollows that were headed in the direction of his house, Orihime right behind him.

"Damn it," he swore as he tried to catch up with the nearest one, "we gotta hurry before they attack any of the people in town!"

* * *

Keigo watched the surprise Hollow assault take place above the town. He didn't say a word as Mizuiro hurried over next to him, his mouth slightly agape as they watched their friends throw themselves at the throng.

"G-geez," Asano trembled as his hands gripped the fence surrounding the park he was in, "I've never seen so many in my life."

Mizuiro's eyes squinted as he continued to play spectator. "I don't know what's going on, but we should get inside."

"Guys!" Tatsuki ran towards them, donned in her karate uniform.

"Arisawa-san," Mizuiro murmured as she caught up to them, panting. "what are you doing here?"

She wiped the sweat off her brow. "I saw you up here. We really need to get out of here."

"Um, yeah." Keigo pointed a shaky finger towards the battle. "Considering that they're _coming this way!_"

Tatsuki swore under her breath, and grabbed his arm. "Run!"

She sprinted towards the exit, yanking Keigo along. Mizuiro hurried after her, and none of them looked back as they exited the park. She led them around them, trying to decide the best place to hide without putting anyone in danger.

They were stumbling down an abandoned alley when Keigo pulled himself free of Tatsuki's grip. "W-wait! I need to catch… my breath." He was wheezing as he leaned against the side of a building.

"Geez," Tatsuki rolled her eyes, "you need to get into better shape!"

Mizuiro peered around, shifting nervously. "Are you sure we're in any actual danger? Don't Hollows go for spirits?"

She nodded. "Typically, but Ichigo told me that, once you develop reiatsu, they may go after you as well."

"Great," Keigo muttered as he straightened. "We're not safe, then. Maybe we could-"

Their only warning was the fierce bellow of the approaching Hollow. With one swipe of its giant hand, the Hollow sent the three students flying down the alley.

"Shit!" Tatsuki screamed as she saw the Hollow lunge at her. It looked like a giant ape, straight from some twisted horror movie about animals gone wrong. She rolled to the side, barely dodging the attack as she tried to get up on her feet. The Hollow turned around, and raised its large paw.

She leapt, not caring that she landed straight into a pile of garbage. She lifted her head, and tried to look for Keigo and Mizuiro. "Oi, guys! Where are- ack!"

The Hollow scooped her out from the mound of trash. It flung her up, and she was airborne for a few fleeting moments. She flailed, feeling like a toy doll as she helplessly traveled a few yards before crashing to the ground. She bit back a scream as her spine jolted in pain.

_This thing is fast, and I don't know where Mizuiro and Keigo are! And where the hell are Ichigo and the others? What if they- _

Her eyes widened. The Hollow was above her, and before she could even move, it smacked her and sent her right at the wall. Her right shoulder took the brunt of the force when it met the wall. She slid to the floor, and saw from the corner of her eye the Hollow raise its paw. Tatsuki winced, and braced herself for the worst.

A garbage can was sent flying at the monster. It hit it square in the face. The Hollow seethed as it turned to attack the perpetrator.

Tatsuki rolled onto her stomach, and pushed herself up. Blood dripped from her chin. Behind her, she heard the distinct sound of yelling.

The Hollow was swiping at Mizuiro and Keigo. The two boys were trying to step around its attacks. The Hollow then surged forward, and its mouth opened wide.

Tatsuki's eyes grew huge. "Get out of the way!"

Mizuiro managed to jump back, but Keigo's arm was caught within its teeth. He screamed as he tried to yank his arm out. The Hollow clutched him, and tried to force him into its mouth.

Tatsuki hollered. Ignoring the pain, she got onto her feet, and leapt into the air. Her heel connected with the side of its face, surprising the Hollow and thereby making it drop Keigo in the process.

Mizuiro grabbed Keigo and dragged him away. Keigo clutched his arm, whimpering as he tried to stop the bleeding. "Fuck, this hurts."

The Hollow tried to smash Tatsuki under its hand, but she rolled away. She quickly stood in front of the boys, the only barrier between them and the angry Hollow. "I'm not gonna let you hurt them," she seethed.

The creature bellowed, and charged at her. She crossed her arms in front of her, and braced herself for the impact.

The last thing she heard was Mizuiro screaming, "Arisawa-san!" before the Hollow struck.

* * *

**A/N: **Poor Tatsuki... and yes, I am a cheater and used Shirosaki for the name. But it is fitting and I like it so shush.

And gee, I wonder whose voice it is Orihime heard. *innocent smile*


	9. Chapter 9

Copious amounts of love, hugs, and gratitude to **Detective-Banana, aki6, Sacmis, war90, Emuri, Agent-G **(I still consider you nuts for reviewing every single chapter, but since you bumped up my review count so that I might get to 100 _before _Chapter 10, no complaints), **Yanaril, Tango Dancer, shadowanime1. **

An extremely special and awe-struck thanks goes to the beta-reader, **PerennialLurker. **Even when life sucks, she beta-reads. I appreciate it immensely.

**Warnings: **the usual language and swear words, gambling, a TON of Ichigo -} Orihime-ness, and Shirosaki being his usual self. And a sort of cliffhanger.

Read, enjoy, and review. Special edition Chappy plushies this chapter. I don't know why, honestly.

EDIT: Thank you **anthem **for pointing out the error

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Bow to the Queen_

"Arisawa-san!"

Tatsuki saw that fist swing forward, and felt herself disconnecting, waiting for the pain she could already feel. Her back and shoulder were already injured, the bones grinding roughly against one another. She was already near the limit of her endurance.

The punch connected, and Tatsuki stumbled back. She knocked into Mizuiro and Keigo, and slouched in between them. Her chest heaved and her back screamed. They tried to support her as the Hollow loomed over them.

Tatsuki straightened up, somehow, and glared at it.

In a split second, they were sent into the other wall as the Hollow's open palm crashed into them. Tatsuki slammed into Mizuiro. She heard his shoulder give a sickening crunch as he collapsed into an unconscious heap on the ground.

She spat out blood. Over her shoulder, she saw Keigo struggling to stand. "Keigo…"

The Hollow had already trapped him. Tatsuki screamed as she lunged for him, and grabbed his legs. "Let him go, bastard!" she hollered at the Hollow. It lifted them both up into the air. Tatsuki swung her legs, trying to kick it as it brought them closer to its open jaws.

"Hey!"

From the right, a blur of a figure passed behind the Hollow. Time seemed to stand still as the Hollow froze. It shook, and then it dissipated as it was sliced in two.

Keigo fell to the ground, clutching his arm and repeating, "Is it gone? Is it gone?"

Tatsuki tried to lift her head, but her body sagged. Her vision unfocused and everything became dark and shadowy. As Tatsuki was losing consciousness, she caught a glimpse of their savior; tall, with pale blonde hair and a bright pink scarf. That was all she saw before her eyes rolled up, and she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Her head hurt. Everything was fuzzy, but she definitely knew there was a headache coming on.

"I didn't get there until it was nearly too late. They were…"

_Whose voice is that?_

And why did her body feel like it had taken a dive and gone straight for a cement wall?

"- tried to save us. Kicked the Hollow. She was injured and…"

_Keigo? Is he okay? Where am I, and where's Mizuiro? What happened?_

"I'm impressed you survived that long."

_What's Ishida doing here?_

"It was frightening. I was knocked out before the end, but I thought I was done for."

_Mizuiro. At least he's all right, it seems. But-_

"I'm just glad you're okay, Mizuiro-kun. We had no idea you guys were out there."

_Orihime? Damn it, I need to get up. Am I even awake, or- grah. _

Her eyes twitched. It was an effort just to crack them open. When she did, the first color to seep in was gold. _Gold? This glow… _She inadvertently groaned as her eyes opened further, and she realized how much her head _and_ body hurt.

"Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime's face hovered above hers. There was a bright yellow barrier between them, the one casting the glow. "You're awake!"

"Ugh. Yeah, I am. What the heck happened?" she asked as her eyesight cleared. She rolled her head to the side, and to her right, she could see everyone. All of her friends, the people from the candy store, even Shinji and his comrades, and the shinigami stationed in town, including the mystery one that showed up before she-

"Oh, shit," she said as the memories flooded back. The swarm, the Hollow attacking, Keigo and Mizuiro protecting her, and then getting hurt as she tried to return the favor.

"Tatsuki." Ichigo walked over to her, and everyone's eyes rested on her. He knelt down, looking worried. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Just feel stiff. Everything go all right?"

"Yeah." His head bowed. "I'm sorry," his fist gripped his shihakusho, "I should have gotten to you. I was so focused on getting the ones going near my house that-"

Her mouth opened to yell at him for being stupid, and she whipped her hand at him to smack him. However, when her hand met the barrier, it was repelled backwards. She cursed as she snatched it back, and clutched it. "What the hell?"

Orihime lightly tapped the Soten Kesshun. "Eh? Tatsuki-chan, are you all right?"

"It did it to me in Hueco Mundo, when you went to shield Yachiru from Nnoitora." Ichigo shrugged. "It can stop something inside from getting out."

"Oh." She smiled apologetically to Tatsuki. "I'm sorry! I had no idea."

The martial artist shook her head, and forced herself to sit up. "It's nothing. Just surprised me."

Orihime dispersed the healing shield, now that Tatsuki was completely healed, just as Mizuiro and Keigo hesitantly stepped next to Ichigo. "Arisawa-san," Mizuiro murmured.

"Hey, guys." She smiled as she rested her arms on her knees. "Were you hurt badly?"

Keigo shook his head. "Nah, we're fine. I was the only one who stayed conscious!"

Ichigo snorted, and Tatsuki rolled her eyes as she was helped onto her feet by her two best friends. "Shut up," she muttered to Keigo.

Urahara stepped forward, twirling his cane. "This has been quite an unexpected day for everyone, it seems." He looked back, and nodded to the Vizards before continuing. "Today's training was interesting, from what I've been told, we had a surprise 'test,' and then Matsumoto-san made an early return."

Rangiku smirked. "Soul Society sent me here a little ahead of schedule. I know taichou was told I wouldn't be back 'til at least next week, but I recovered quickly." She spared Tatsuki a sly glance. "Seems like it was a good thing, too."

"Ah, so it was you." Tatsuki bowed politely to her. "Thank you."

The vice-captain flapped her hand. "Don't be so formal. It's my job." She stretched out her arms, and yawned. "Oh my. I came here, hoping to get my gigai and crash on Orihime's couch, but instead I got thrown right into a battle." She pouted.

"Serves you right, Matsumoto."

She screeched before spinning around. "Taichou! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Hinamori, who had been standing off to the side quietly with the others, asked, "Hitsugaya-kun, what did Soul Society say?"

"Nothing good. They're displeased Ichimaru and Tousen are up to something, and they have no answers." He lifted a shoulder. "Things still aren't running smoothly there, and it's not helping."

Matsumoto sighed. "Yeah. Soutaichou's still unconscious. It's a bit hectic."

Momo shook her head sadly. "Not to mention we're missing the entire Central 46 and three captains. And now this."

Orihime walked up to Matsumoto. "R-Rangiku-san? Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No. Thanks, but, this is Soul Society's problem. You've done enough." She smiled, and slung her arm over her shoulders. "And enough talk about that. How ya been? Have-" She paused, and looked over her shoulder at Ichigo. Rangiku smirked, and pulled Orihime away before leaning down and whispering something in her ear.

Whatever it was, it made Orihime flush furiously. Tatsuki lifted an eyebrow as Rangiku snickered. _I guess she knows about it, too._

Ichigo stared blankly at the two girls, as though they had pulled off their faces to reveal hollow masks.

Tatsuki bit back a laugh as he scratched his head. "Girl stuff," she explained to him.

He nodded hesitantly, like he was starting to grasp the concept. "I get that, I think, but why did she look at me?"

"Couldn't say." Luckily, Ichigo's dense-headedness and his lack of knowledge about women made it easy for Tatsuki to play dumb. "But it's a girl thing, no doubt."

"It's not that that's worrying me, anyway. Matsumoto-san isn't a good influence."

She chuckled at his serious expression. "Maybe, but I think Orihime would benefit from a bit of corruption. God knows I failed at doing it."

"Why would you want to corrupt her?" He crossed his arms. "She's fine the way she is."

It was a strange feeling she had from his words. On one hand, she wanted to smack him for being, well, such an idiot. On the other, she wanted to smile and almost hug him for being so unexpectedly sweet. "Hey, this is my part of the pact. She'll be fine."

Ichigo nodded curtly. He didn't believe her at all, and it was evident by the way he was still frowning at Rangiku.

"I'm still sore," Tatsuki said in an effort to change the subject. "I hope this goes away before Saturday."

"That's right," Mizuiro commented, "The movie's on Saturday. It's almost December."

"Huh?" Rangiku peered over her shoulder. "What movie?"

Orihime smiled and explained, "Tatsuki-chan, Mizuiro-kun, Keigo-kun, Sado-kun, Kurosaki-kun and I are seeing _Bad Shield 2 _on Saturday! It's the premiere, and we have tickets to go!" She poked her head around Rangiku to look at Hitsugaya. "I meant to tell you. Will you be okay for dinner on Saturday?"

He nodded and smiled. "We'll get take-out. You go have fun."

"Or I could cook!" Rangiku volunteered.

"No." Hitsugaya's smile went as quickly as it came, and his tone was final.

Rangiku crossed her arms and sulked. "You never let me have any fun."

"Speaking of dinner," Rukia finally spoke as she checked her communicator. "Ichigo, we're late."

His eyes widened considerably, and they darted to the ladder. "Crap! My body is still back by the warehouses!" He made a move to head towards the ladder, but halted. "Uh, Inoue, are-"

"We'll walk her home, Kurosaki. We live in the same house, after all." Hitsugaya gestured towards the exit. "You should get going."

Orihime waved to Ichigo. "It's fine. You shouldn't make Yuzu-chan worry! I'll see you tomorrow."

With barely a nod, he was gone and up the ladder. Rukia shouted a quick good-bye as well before she followed.

Rangiku beamed as she pulled Orihime with her. "Let's get going. I just need to get my gigai upstairs and then we can go and have dinner! Maybe we can order from that Chinese place, or – oh! Sushi! I love sushi! Especially with…"

Hitsugaya and Hinamori slowly walked behind the chattering Rangiku. Hitsugaya pinched the bridge of his nose. "Good grief, it's starting already."

Renji glanced back at Urahara as he walked along with Ishida and Chad. "You mind if I use the bath?"

"Oh, no, go right ahead. I'll be down here for a bit anyway." Urahara pointed his fan at Tatsuki, and then Mizuiro and Keigo. "I suggest you three get plenty of rest tonight. You'll be a bit sore for a few days, I imagine. That was quite a beating you took."

"Yeah," Tatsuki said, "I don't think I'll be up to doing much else, anyway.

Keigo nodded, along with Mizuiro.

"Good. Now, shoo. Rest up, you've all had a trying day." Urahara herded the rest of the stragglers out of his shop, and waited patiently as they climbed up the ladder, one by one. Once they left, all that remained was his crew and the Vizards.

A beat of silence.

"That was interesting." Shinji twirled his cap on his fingertip.

Hiyori adjusted one of her pigtails. "What was the point of it, though? The attack. The shinigami and Ichigo and his friends did all the work. Everyone standin' here right now didn't even have to do anything."

"Yeah," Love added, "About half of the forces in this town, which is made up of most of the strongest fighters, didn't participate at all. It's not much of a test."

"That's the part that worries us." Yoruichi jumped down from her perch on a rock. "Ichimaru and Tousen know that. That may have just been the first wave."

Kensei shrugged. "So, what? The Arrancar are next? Tougher fights, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"I think they'd send Gillian next," Rose suggested as he frowned. "Although not as strong, there's a lot of potential for destruction."

Riza crossed one leg over the other as she leaned against a boulder. "Then we just have to be careful. Gillian are stupid; it's not tough to push the fight elsewhere."

"It's the final wave that we are concerned about." Urahara lowered his head, and his hat obstructed the view of his face. "I can only imagine what they have in store. They have motive for revenge, and they now have no reason to spare the town. Their leader is dead, and their purpose destroyed. People are unpredictable when they are vengeful."

"We'll be fine," Shinji insisted drolly. "Seems like they're just fuckin' around fer right now. I'm just gonna keep focused on Ichigo and Orihime-chan until Tousen and Ichimaru do somethin' serious."

"Speaking of, I only got the gist of what happened today over the phone before the whole commotion started." Urahara's mouth was hidden behind his fan, but the curious look in his eyes was evident. "If I heard right, Inoue-san heard a voice in her head?"

A heavy air surrounded the Vizards, and it took a good half minute before any of them had the heart to explain.

"Well, yes," Hachi confirmed. "We don't know what it said, but apparently, it told her to use her Santen Kesshun to shield Ichigo, even though her back was turned and she had no idea he needed it at the time. Her Shun Shun Rikka came out, and they all had a brand on them in the shape of Ichigo's Hollow mask. They weren't upset with Ichigo, from what I could tell, but they were disconcerted."

Riza explained further, "The little black fairy said that Ichigo's Hollow 'had more answers' than they did, and they would 'try and get more out of him soon.'" She shrugged her shoulders elegantly. "Whatever that means."

Tessai spoke quietly, "It seems like they've been communicating with the Hollow. But how?"

"Then there is a mental connection," Urahara murmured. "And from the sound of it, Ichigo's Hollow has taken advantage of it. The voice Inoue-san probably heard was the Hollow's."

A few faces blanched, while others became angry. The Vizards murmured amongst themselves for a few moments before Hiyori elbowed Shinji. "We need to get our asses in gear. There's no telling what that thing will do if it's got access to her head." The other Vizards nodded, their faces pale and their eyes tight.

"It won't do much damage in the first days, although I don't know how long it's been able to do this," Shinji said, frowning heavily. "Inner Hollows are nasty, we all know this. I don't want to fathom what it could do to poor Orihime-chan's head."

"I doubt it's been able to for long." Yoruichi didn't seem the least bit phased by the news. "I think Orihime would have known earlier if it could. And say it has: the Shun Shun Rikka are aware of what it is up to, and they're probably keeping an eye on the Hollow."

Hachi nodded in agreement. "They may be quite small, but the Rikka are particularly savvy. They have minds of their own, which in this case is a good thing. I have no doubt that Ichigo's Hollow is clever, but this is one head against six." He clasped his hands together, and smiled. "That, and Inoue-san is one of the most durable and strongest human beings I've ever met. I don't think the Hollow would have much luck against her."

Shinji's expression lightened, and there were traces of a smile on his lips. "Ya know, I wonder if it would actually do anything against her. Hollow or not, it's Ichigo. He's so batshit protective of her. Wouldn't his Hollow be affected by it?"

"Well," Mashiro tilted her head to the side. "it could be that, or maybe his Hollow might be driven more to hurt her because of that."

"Either way, we need to get a move on." Rose rolled his shoulders. "I believe Orihime is strong, but I don't like the thought of an inner Hollow screwing with _two _people's heads."

Shinji put his hat back on. "I'll talk to the lovebirds tomorrow and set up another training day. Maybe on Thursday. Ochi gave the class a huge damn essay due on Thursday, so I need to give 'em Wednesday off."

"Lovebirds…" Riza rolled her eyes. "Don't get me started on that."

"Is that what you were teasing Berry-tan about earlier?" Mashiro asked Shinji.

"Yeah," he admitted. "He makes it so easy. I really do wish he'd just do it. It'd be a lot more fun to tease him, and her, although I'd definitely pick on Ichigo more. I like Orihime-chan too much."

Yoruichi laughed. "I figured you'd be on his case about that. I think the kid already knows; he just won't admit it. Give him a couple weeks."

"A couple weeks?" Kensei snorted. "It'll probably take him months with the way he's going."

"Nah." She grinned confidently. "I know him. Once he figures something out, he'll move quickly."

The former ninth squad captain raised his brow. "So sure? Then how about a wager?"

It might have been a little unlike him, but Yoruichi saw it more as a challenge than anything. "Sure," she agreed. "How much you wanna bet?"

"5000 yen."

It was her turn to raise her brow. "Nice. All right, you're on. If he asks her out within two weeks from today, I win." She shook hands with him, and smiled her wicked smile. "I hope you have that much. When I win, I will come and collect," she warned in a playful tone.

Urahara gave his long-time friend a look both amused and bewildered. "Goodness, Yoruichi-san. You have a great amount of faith in Kurosaki-san's thick head."

She shrugged casually. Let them think what they want, she thought, but she trusted her gut. "You should have more faith. He'll be fine." She crossed her arms, and yawned leisurely. "He won't be single in two weeks, Kisuke. You can stake Benihime on it."

* * *

Rangiku had an equal amount of faith, although there was a difference in who she was placing it in. "I can't believe you haven't told him yet!" she chided as she brushed Orihime's hair.

The younger woman flushed. "I wasn't really planning on telling him at all…"

"Nonsense," Rangiku said, "You will in time."

Orihime shook her head. "Right now's not good, with everything and – and stuff."

The vice-captain gave her a deadpan look. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well, Kurosaki-kun and I have been training together, and he has a lot on his mind right now. And it would just complicate things for him."

She was not to be deterred. "Maybe that's exactly what he needs. A distraction from all of that."

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya growled, "stop butting into Inoue-san's personal life."

She pouted. "I'm trying to help!"

Momo moved from her seat between the tenth division leaders, as though their squabble had physically heated the air between them, and sat down next to Orihime. "I didn't know you liked him in that way."

Orihime flushed, and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, um, y-yeah, sort of. Er, well…"

"It's okay," the smaller woman said. "I think that's really sweet. Are you sure you won't tell him, though? I don't mean to pry, but he seems pretty fond of you."

Orihime tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Kurosaki-kun is a kind person. A kind person who has a lot of inner demons to battle with, so to speak."

"The Hollow?" Hitsugaya shook his head when Orihime jolted in shock. "I don't know much about it, but it's not like he's in any trouble for it."

"How does that work, anyway?" Rangiku asked. "The whole Hollow mask bit."

Orihime clutched her arm. "It's hard to say," she said, wondering how much she to say without feeling like she was breaching the Vizards' trust. "I guess it's sort of like a zanpakutou. Its avatar lives inside you, right?"

The three shinigami nodded. "I'm surprised you know about that," Hitsugaya added.

"Rukia-chan told me back when I was training with her. I wondered how it worked. Anyway," she continued, "it's like that. They have a Hollow entity that lives inside with their zanpakutou. I know Kurosaki-kun's looks just like him, but all the colors are inverted." She laughed wryly. "He's a bit of a jerk, from what I've been told."

Rangiku laughed with her. "That makes sense. Oh, poor Ichigo. That must be a pain to deal with," she said. "Has, uh, he been giving Ichigo problems?"

"I guess so. I don't know all the details about that, really." It was a lie, but yet it wasn't. There was only so much she could tell them. "But I want to help him, although I don't know what I could do. Kurosaki-kun's the only one who can talk to Shirosaki-kun, and vice versa." Did that one count as a lie, Orihime thought, if she wasn't even sure if it was one?

"Shirosaki?" Momo asked.

"Heh. It's the name I gave the Hollow. It at least gives me something to call him besides 'the Hollow' all the time."

Hitsugaya snorted lightly. "How fitting. Does Kurosaki talk to… Shirosaki that often?"

"I don't know," Orihime answered, for the first time completely honestly. "Although he has to talk to him soon." She glanced up thoughtfully at the darkening sky. "I wonder how that will go. The two of them… they don't get along well."

* * *

That was a hell of an understatement.

While Orihime was at home, expounding on about Ichigo's Hollow, Ichigo was bracing himself for the meeting ahead as he trudged to his room. No, he and his Hollow did not get along well at all, and that was why he was not looking forward to trying to pry answers out of 'Shirosaki.'

But if it had something to do with what happened at training, and if it was affecting Orihime in any way, Ichigo would make damn sure that he knew just what it was up to, and put an end to it as soon as possible.

Kon was nowhere in sight, probably trapped in his sisters' room, and his family and Rukia were downstairs watching television. Ichigo walked into his room and locked the door, not willing to risk being disturbed. He settled onto his bed, resting an arm behind his head. His eyes shut, and he relaxed his mind. Blackness and emptiness replaced his thoughts, and he felt detached from his body as he began to sink into the void.

Going into his inner world was always an odd experience, but he was used to it. He was in freefall in the darkness for a few seconds, and then everything began to materialize. Within half a minute, he was in the world of Zangetsu and his Hollow.

"Well well well, look who decided to pay a visit."

Ichigo grit his teeth. He wanted to make some retort, but Orihime's advice rang clearly in his mind: "_Well, maybe that's only a part of it. It's also about respect._" She had been so kind to him, trying to help in a situation she wasn't well-versed with. And the way she said she accepted all parts of him simply because it was him…

He wasn't going to let her down. He turned around, resolve hardened, and faced his Hollow. It was leering down at him from its perch on a neighboring skyscraper. He nodded to it.

Shirosaki, as Orihime had dubbed him, raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty muted greeting, coming from ya."

_It's not going to make this easy, is it? _Ichigo scowled, a little more intensely than usual, trying to remain composed. "I'm taking Inoue's approach."

It grinned widely. "Ain't this momentous. Our King's taking advice from other people seriously." It scratched its chin, and its expression looked innocently perplexed. "Though, really, takin' advice from someone who doesn't know what it's like? Damn careless," he scolded mockingly.

"Shut-" Ichigo clenched his fist. "Inoue never claimed to be an expert. She's a good person, trying to help."

Shirosaki chuckled. "Orihime-chan's quite an interesting woman. Weird as hell, but interesting." It hopped off from its ledge, and landed a few feet from Ichigo. It turned and grinned. "I gotta give ya some credit, King. You sure know how to pick your women."

Ichigo's face went blank before it darkened. "What?" he asked, his voice deathly quiet.

His Hollow glanced away, its body shaking in laughter. "As much as I hate that idiot, he's right. You are fucking jealous. Relax! We're the same damn being!"

Still trying to reign in his temper, because Orihime was counting on him for answers, Ichigo snorted. "Whatever. Tell me why the Shun Shun Rikka are branded. Tsubaki said you had the answers."

Shirosaki rolled its eyes and shrugged. "Dunno," it said. Then, its expression turned sour. "But, probably the same reason I have this." It lifted its hand, and showed Ichigo the flower brand that it had received weeks ago.

Ichigo took a step back. "The hell?"

"The fairies ain't the only victims, King. I got it, too. Hurt like a bitch." It let its hand drop to its side. "Old fart got one, too. Like that black runt said, _now _you're finally seeing what's been going on."

Ichigo asked in a firm voice, "What do you mean?"

"Tch." It turned its back to Ichigo, and walked to the edge of the building. "I got a brand, those six pixie things got one, it's even. Get off my ass."

"No."

It jerked its head, and slowly craned it to look at Ichigo. "No?"

"No. I'm not going to stop until I have answers. You know about what happened today." Ichigo marched up to him. "The Rikka wouldn't have pointed to you without a reason. What happened?"

Shirosaki scowled, a mirror image of Ichigo's. "Hell if I-"

Within seconds, Ichigo had it by its throat and pinned to the ground. "Don't play dumb! What did you-" His eyes narrowed, and his grip tightened. "You bastard. It was your voice she heard, wasn't it?"

It clapped, even while in a chokehold. "Bravo, King. She's definitely influencing you. You ain't usually this clever. But really, shouldn't you be thanking me? I told her to use that shield of hers to save your ass."

Ichigo glowered at it. "Why did you bother? Instead of doing something yourself."

"Good point," Shirosaki said, "but call it a test. And damn, did it work."

He didn't like this at all. His Hollow being inside Orihime's head scared him. "How were you in her head? Why?" However, Ichigo was sensing a losing battle. His Hollow was having too much fun keeping him in the dark.

It smirked, and with a swift kick, sent Ichigo into another building. As the dust cleared, and Ichigo pried himself off of the side, it said, "I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?"

"Damn it!" Ichigo shunpoed towards it. Losing battle, maybe, but he wasn't going without a fight. "I'm not doing this for me! If you even try doing anything to Inoue, I'll-"

The Hollow sighed. "King," it said, "you're getting it all wrong. I ain't lookin' to hurt her."

Ichigo regarded it quietly, torn between what to say. One part of him wanted to keep pressing it for answers about what happened. Another part of him reasoned that it wasn't going to tell him, not that day, and perhaps lulling it into a false sense of security was the best option for the time being. Then, there was a small part of him that was curious about what it just said. "Then what are you aiming to do?"

Shirosaki raised its brow, and smirked. "Hard to say," it said innocently, "but it's entertaining. It's refreshing to get out of this dump, although those damn fairies don't let me have much fun."

"They stopped you?"

"To put it lightly," it muttered. "Fucking midgets kicked me out three seconds after I stepped into their territory. Besides, she's got too strong of a mind to let me do anything, so don't go batshit on me."

Ichigo immensely enjoyed the fact that Shirosaki had been bested by someone, or someones in that case. He couldn't help but feel a new level of respect for Orihime's powers. But he would be smart and keep quiet about it. "So, why were you able to do it today?"

Shirosaki glanced to the side. "Not really sure," it admitted, "but it's something to look forward to." When Ichigo glared, it snapped, "Use your fucking ears! I said I wasn't gonna hurt her!"

"Why not?"

In a rare moment, Shirosaki looked genuinely surprised.

"You don't give a shit about any of my nakama. On the dome, you, me, or whoever it was hurt Ishida. I doubt you even remember the name of any of my other friends, but you refer to Inoue in the familiar." His eyes narrowed, not sure of how he thought of all of this, especially when he was still so confused about everything else. "Why?"

It said nothing for a minute. It looked off into the endless horizon, perhaps unsure of what to say. Then, "Ain't it obvious? We're the same being, though we clash over a lot of stuff. But our instincts are the same. The most primal. King, it was you and me on the dome that day. We protected her for a _reason._"

Ichigo quietly asked, "What reason?"

Shirosaki shook its head. "Figure it out your damn self. I ain't your private investigator. But, since you impressed me today, I'll tell ya this." It grinned manically as it tapped Ichigo's chest. "Emotions aren't my thing, but what goes on in this world echoes yours. The old geezer and I can also be affected by them. The stronger they are, the more influenced we are. And, oh, before you go…"

Ichigo mentally cursed the Hollow. But then, he wasn't surprised that he wasn't walking out with the answers he wanted. He would have to get them another time. He jerked his head. "What?"

Shirosaki chuckled. "Tell the Queen I said thanks for the name. It's too close to yours, but at least it's my own." It pressed a slender white finger to Ichigo's forehead. "I'm pissed about having a flower burned to my fucking hand, but I can live with it. I'm also pissed that you're a sucky King, but I guess it's worth it if it means a hot Queen."

Before Ichigo could say anything, he was forced back to consciousness. He jerked back into his body, and nearly fell out of his bed. He clutched his head, and lowered it to his chest as he sat up. "Queen…"

He wasn't sure what shocked him more: the fact that his Hollow was actually grateful, even if it was to someone else, or the name it had given Orihime. "It said that it didn't want to hurt her. And that my emotions affect it."

His Hollow hadn't given him a lot to think about, even if it wasn't everything he had originally come there to learn. How did the Rikka kick Shirosaki out of Orihime's head? What was the deal with the brands? And of course, he worried about what his Hollow was planning.

But while Shirosaki didn't give him any directanswers about the things he wanted to learn, it did provide him hints about something else. His Hollow was obstinate and selfish. If it went so far as to consider another person's well-being, and to show them gratitude, then that could only mean one thing for Ichigo.

The memories rushed into the forefront of his mind from his subconscious, pieces to a puzzle he hadn't even known existed until now.

The way Orihime was able to calm him with just one touch, like in the training arena when the captains' words angered him.

"_Or perhaps you're just hopeless in an entirely different way."_

It was why he was so intimidated when he asked her to go to the movies with him.

"_Me. Inoue. All of this. Why me? Why her? Why now? I…I don't know what I'm feeling, and I'm not sure if I should be worried or – or if I even want to fight it. Or if I even _should_."_

Why he nearly kissed her that evening when they sparred together.

"_What is she to you?" _And perhaps part of the reason why Tatsuki wanted to patch things up with him.

"_Ya know, maybe you should just ask her out and get it over with." _

His motivation for, as Shinji termed it, his 'batshit over-protectiveness.'

And just before, with his Hollow's hints. It was ironic that it took his Hollow, of all beings, to finally make him realize it. But as much as he hated it, his Hollow knew him the best, for he _was _him, a part of him. The truth was deep inside of him the whole time, so strong and powerful that it affected all of him, and it was why he and his Hollow had come to care so much for Orihime in their own ways.

A sensation spread, starting from the center of his chest, where his heart was. It trickled through his veins, filling every pore and crevice inside of him. It settled into every bone, and every fiber of his body. But it didn't weigh him down. Instead, he felt unburdened, like a dam finally released. It was overwhelming at first, and he had to fight to regain his breath. When it passed, he leaned his head against the window, and stared out.

His eyes fluttered shut as he searched for her reiatsu. He felt it, surrounded by Hitsugaya, Hinamori, and Matsumoto's. Even when far away, her reiatsu calmed him, and he finally understood _why _it did.

There was a soft rap on his door. "Ichigo?" Rukia said.

He got up and unlocked the door, before sitting back down and answering, "You can come in."

He heard the door creak, and Rukia's feet pad softly on the floor, but Ichigo didn't meet her gaze. His eyes opened, but they were fixated on the fading twilight.

"Are you all right?" Rukia asked.

He nearly chuckled. He supposed his current behavior would look like something was bothering him. "Yeah, actually. Close the door, will you?"

Ichigo could see her expression reflected in the glass. He found her cautious confusion almost amusing, and a little endearing. He heard and saw the door close before she said, "Okay. What's gotten into you?"

For the first time, he turned to look at her. She met his stare, violet eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Ichigo?"

He smiled softly. "I really am an idiot, aren't I? Rukia, I…" He shook his head against the windowpane. "I finally get it."

"Get what?"

Ichigo pressed his finger against the same spot Shirosaki's was just minutes ago. "I get what's been going on with me. I don't mean the crap with my Hollow. I guess what you and everyone else have been trying to tell me."

Rukia didn't say a word. Ichigo wasn't sure whether it was because she didn't know what he meant, or she was too shocked to admit it.

Or, perhaps, she wanted him to say it first. It didn't matter, either way. He knew the truth now. "Rukia, I – I…"

Of course, it was harder than he anticipated. When he tried to say the words, they became a garbled mess in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, and lightly pressed his head against the cool windowpane.

"Ichigo." Rukia walked up to him, and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Just say what you think you feel, and do it simply. We'll go from there."

It was then he realized how lucky he was to not only have _Rukia, his mentor and shinigami _as a best friend, but also to have one as _Rukia, the woman. _He didn't claim to be able to predict the future, but he was sure he would need to draw on both of those aspects in the days to come. "Rukia, I… I think I'm, well, Inoue…"

Her eyes widened slightly. "You think you're Orihime?"

"No!" He gripped his head, and finally said, "I think I'm falling for Inoue!" If he hadn't already, he added mentally.

He had never seen her look so shocked. Her mouth opened and shut numerous times, but she was struck speechless. After a full minute of silence and staring, a snort escaped her. Then a chuckle. Finally, she erupted into full blown laughter. "Oh, you damn idiot," she said in between the laughter, and the tears that resulted, "it took you long enough!"

* * *

"My my," Urahara said as he looked up at the starry sky, "I never felt Kurosaki-san's reiatsu so calm like that. Especially without Inoue-san in the vicinity."

Yoruichi smirked as she stood next to him. "This'll teach Kensei to bet against me."

He chuckled. "It's not over yet. But your confidence is infectious."

"Urahara-dono!"

Kisuke and Yoruichi stepped inside, and found Tessai hurrying towards them. "There's an Arrancar in the basement!"

Yoruichi immediately tensed, but Urahara only raised a brow. "Oh? What did it look like?"

"Teal hair, with a bone jaw and wild eyes." Tessai motioned to the trapdoor. "Should I contain him?"

Urahara shook his head. "No, it's all right. I've been expecting him." He smiled secretively as he went towards the basement door. "I was hoping his impatience would pay off."

"Who is it?" Yoruichi asked, following him.

"My informant. You may want to stay up here, only because I don't know if he'll be willing to talk with strangers around." Urahara looked at her, pleading her understanding. She nodded, and he smiled gratefully. "I'll be up soon. Keep Abarai and the kids away from here," he said before jumping down.

He landed on the dirt floor, his wooden clogs protesting as they strained from the impact. He stood up, and whipped out his fan when his gaze met the visiting Arrancar. "Grimmjow-san! You're quite early. You have over a week left, you know."

Grimmjow scoffed. "You didn't say anything about not being able to come back early, and I've got enough information to satisfy you."

"Really?" Kisuke strode over to him, fan still in place over his face. "Well, I'll be the judge of that. So, tell me then." His eyes smiled, the only emotion they would show. "What did you find out?"

Grimmjow smirked, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll get my fight?"

"In time, I promise. I told you, this form of his hasn't been brought out since his fight with Ulquiorra, and we're still not sure how to go about it. I'm afraid that's honestly all I can give you at this point."

"Fine." Grimmjow slumped against a rock, and said, "Tousen and Ichimaru are working with others. They rounded up the Numero, and they're trying to accomplish something." He paused, and hesitantly added, "I think they want to take over Soul Society, still."

Urahara crossed his arms, and frowned. "Sounds like they're not giving up on their original idea, even if the execution has to be different. Go on."

"I don't know the people they're working with. They seem like shinigami, but at least the ones I saw don't wear the robes. They also had some cloak or whatever hanging over their shoulders." There was something in his stare that Urahara found a little alarming. The Arrancar looked concerned, and that couldn't be good. "I don't know for sure who they were, but I do know that they're looking for a small group of people."

_A small group? But who- _Urahara's eyes widened slightly. _'Cloaks over their shoulders.' Is he referring to what I think he is? _Urahara thought of the group he had never hoped to ever encounter, and panic nearly choked him. No, this wasn't good at all. "Do they know where these people are?"

"No. They said they didn't, anyway."

_Then we have time. _"Tell me what else you saw." Urahara was determined to pick Grimmjow's brain as much as possible. Because now, if it was _them_, then the people Urahara had been fighting to protect all this time were in serious jeopardy.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, it certainly took him long enough, didn't it? And who knew Yoruichi gambled? Now, whether she's right or not will remain to be seen. ;D


	10. Chapter 10

Here it is. I apologize sincerely that it took this long for the chapter to come up. NaNoWriMo took up a lot of November, but I did finish about mid-way. However, there was an unexpected turn of events in my life that stopped me from writing for a few weeks. That and finals just didn't make it possible. Then of course, there's the whole beta-reading process, and that's why it's only being posted now. It's a nice little New Year's gift, no?

Thanks to **Rachel, thatEndlessOblivion, Kamiko no Ummei, Huheh, E.J, zodious, Yanaril, Emuri, Lyhime, chuchootrain, anthem2521, war90, aki6, Agent-G, and shadowanime1 **(holy crap what a list) for the reviews! I was hoping for 100 by the end of THIS chapter, but we're already at 110! You guys are freaking awesome. Reviews are such great motivators for continuing and improving. Uber big hugs and glomps for everyone.

Of course, **PerennialLurker** gets the special thanks for beta-reading and making good suggestions. I have no idea what I'd do without her.

Hmmm... review awards this chapter will be a Yoruichi plushie that can magically transform into a black kitty plushie. Review and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_A day of many firsts_

Ichigo's alarm clock went off at 8:30, its shrill sound filling the room. Ichigo's arm snaked out from beneath the covers. His hand balled into a fist, and slammed on top of the alarm, silencing it. Even though it was Saturday morning, and he didn't need to be up for at least another hour, Ichigo didn't try to fall back asleep. He needed to think.

The past week had been so busy. School and training had eaten up his time, as usual. However, two things had also occurred during the week that had thrown Ichigo for a loop and kept his mind busy: one, he realized he was in love with Orihime, and two, Urahara had disappeared.

The latter had occurred only a day after the former. From what Tessai told everyone, Urahara had gotten a visitor the night before. Whatever had been said disturbed and worried Urahara, because he left the next day to "investigate a few important matters." Urahara pulling a disappearing act didn't surprise Ichigo as much as Urahara actually being worried about something. Whatever it was, the shopkeeper was withholding details from everyone, even Tessai.

_It can't be good, _Ichigo concluded. He tried to tell himself Urahara would reveal everything when he was ready, but this had not provided much comfort.

Shinji and the other Vizards had not eased his mind – they were even more troubled by the mysterious disappearance. Instead of training, they mainly hung out at the warehouse and chatted. Although Orihime hearing a strange voice in her head was still of much concern, no one knew what to do about it. Without Urahara's advice and suggestions, the Vizards could not continue the training.

Ichigo winced as a pang of guilt hit him. He hadn't told Shinji about his conversation with Shirosaki. He should have, but thinking about it still made his head reel. His only excuse was that he didn't want to raise the issue until he was sure about what he wanted to do and until he'd spoken to Orihime about it, and speaking to Orihime, post revelation number one, was a whole other can of worms all by itself.

Inoue Orihime. His nakama. A girl who lit up the whole room with her smile. The person he shared a strange and unknown bond with. The girl he had fallen for. She was all of these things and more, but in the end, she was still Inoue, and they were still friends. That was what he was to her: a nakama. Really, Inoue Orihime, of all the girls, loving him in return? Absurd.

So why did Rukia seem hellbent on making him tell her his feelings?

"_You should tell her," _she had told him when he admitted his feelings. She sat with him on his bed, her legs dangling over the edge.

"_It's Inoue. She's – she's…"_

"_She's what?"_

"_Pretty." _He wished Rukia wouldn't make him spell everything out. _"No, more like, she's already got a school-wide reputation as the most beautiful girl to have attended Karakura high in a decade."_

"_Oh, so what? That means she would never consider you? Ichigo, have you seen her show even remote interest in another guy? Arisawa only has to beat off Chizuru. If Orihime was flirting with other boys, Arisawa would have her hands full."_

He hadn't thought of that. _"Yeah, okay. But we're nakama. She-"_

His arm stung from the smack she gave it. "_Give yourself some credit! You're good-looking, and you'd be even attractive if you smiled sometimes. And the 'we're friends' bit won't work. You're friends with her, and yet, here you are, in love. It's very possible."_

He still didn't agree with her. However, a promise was a promise.

"_Look, I'll think about it, okay? But my thoughts are just – I can't seem to pin down the right words in my own head, let alone talk to her about it. I need time."_

She had nodded seriously. _"Understandable. If that's the case, then think. In the meantime, I won't say a word about it to the others, I promise. I'll try to make sure they don't catch on, either."_

She had kept her end of the promise. Their friends were still under the impression that Ichigo was clueless about his feelings. Per Rukia's instructions on the walk to school the next morning, Ichigo acted oblivious. He tried to, anyway. He purposely made himself mumble and stutter whenever someone made a sly remark about him and Orihime. He tried to appear dumbstruck and enraged whenever Shinji teased him about Orihime.

But the hardest part had been hiding it from her. Orihime was perceptive. He tried to act the same as always around her. She didn't seem to notice any changes, or at least said nothing about them to his face. Which Ichigo was eternally grateful for. If she had any idea what ran through his head when he was around her…

Well, he didn't want to dwell on that.

Despite his attempts to act like nothing was different, his behavior had changed, particularly his involuntary reactions. Rukia was quick to draw attention to these, but even her advice didn't help in the end.

Take Chizuru's behavior. Whenever the lesbian would make some lewd remark about Orihime's breasts or try to grab them, anger would rise in the pit of Ichigo's stomach, and he would glare viciously at her. No matter how hard he tried to control his expression, the anger was always there. When Shinji teasingly asked him about it one day in the middle of this past week, Ichigo had forgotten about the façade he was supposed to keep up and simply had said that he didn't like Chizuru or her behavior towards Orihime. No mumbling or bumbling, no attempts at justifying his thoughts, nothing. By the time he had realized his error, it was too late.

The Vizard from then on would glance at Ichigo questioningly every so often. Ichigo tried to hide his confidence, and tried to pretend to be oblivious about his feelings, but he feared Shinji had caught on. Part of the reason also might have had to do with the amount of time they spent together. Whereas Ichigo saw most of his friends only at school, Ichigo hung out with Shinji frequently at the warehouse afterwards during their supposed training sessions. That gave him a lot more time to observe.

_For a guy who acts so much like an idiot, he can be as perceptive as Inoue, _Ichigo thought dryly.

_Inoue…_

His gaze drifted up towards the window. He rolled over onto his side in bed, and shut his eyes. He searched for her reiatsu as he had every morning for the past week, and smiled when he felt it. It was calm and level; she was still asleep. Then again, it was Saturday. Most normal teenagers tried to sleep in if they could.

Then again, he hadn't been "normal" for quite some time. But he would be doing something very normal later: _Bad Shield 2 _was premiering that night, and he would be going with his friends to see it on the big screen. His body tingled in excitement, but for two different reasons. One was obviously because he had wanted to see it since he first heard about it, but the second was because he would be with Orihime in a dark movie theater.

_Get a grip, _he thought with a roll of his eyes. _It's not like we'll be alone. We're going with our friends. Besides, if I tried to do something, Tatsuki would rip my balls off. _

Orihime's reiatsu fluctuated, and Ichigo fixated on it. Though still calm, her reiatsu was more active and vibrant. _She's awake. _Ichigo rolled to his other side, and glanced at his clock. It was 9 AM already. He could stay in bed for another half hour, but he decided to get up. Ichigo pushed the covers back, and groaned when the cold air hit his body.

He hated mornings, and he hated that training was pushed to 11 AM that day. Although the change in time was necessary, Ichigo detested the idea of having to train or do any semblance of work on a Saturday morning. Still, no matter what time the training was, he got to walk with Orihime. That was enough motivation to get him going and get ready for the day ahead.

He flew through his morning routine, and was downstairs eating breakfast twenty minutes later. His family was chatting all around him. Yuzu was scolding Karin, who had beaten Isshin to floor after he made yet another one of his stupid comments.

Rukia slid in the chair next to Ichigo, having snuck past the arguing trio. "You're going to be gone all day?"

"Probably," Ichigo said as he sipped his miso soup. "Training might take awhile today. Shinji actually wants to get something done, although it's hard with Urahara-san gone."

She nodded. "I'm meeting with Renji at the Shouten today. We want to look for him, although we don't know where to start, honestly." Her forehead creased in concentration, but she forced a smile. "We'll be fine. Have fun at the movie tonight," she said with a chuckle. "And don't try anything with Orihime. Just because it's dark in there and no one pays attention-"

"Shut up," Ichigo muttered, sending Rukia sharp glare. "The arrangement was not for you to tease me incessantly about it." He kept his voice low, glancing cautiously over his shoulder to make sure his family didn't hear.

"Oh come on, I need to benefit from this somehow," Rukia said. "Besides, I haven't told a soul and that was my promise." She then whispered, "What about you? Have you given it any thought?"

"Plenty," Ichigo murmured. His glance fell to the table, unable to meet hers. "I just… it's getting harder to keep it secret. I don't know what I'm going to do today."

Rukia got up from the table. She patted Ichigo's head gently, and smiled. "I think the answer's obvious."

* * *

Was it? Maybe it was. Ichigo had contemplated Rukia's words all the way to Orihime's house, and was still mulling them over when she walked outside. His thoughts quieted when his eyes met hers, and he warmed inside when she smiled in greeting. "Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Oi, Inoue," he said in return. "Ready for today?"

"You bet!" she said cheerfully as she walked to his side. "We get to see Shinji-kun and the others and have lunch and then a movie!" She paused, her expression suddenly quizzical. "Huh. I don't think I've done so much in one day in awhile. So much that was fun, anyway."

Ichigo blinked, and looked down at her. "Huh. Same here."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Orihime giggled and Ichigo snorted.

"We better get going," Ichigo said.

Orihime nodded, and they walked side by side towards the warehouse section of town. Orihime began to tell Ichigo about a dream she had involving armed penguins.

Although he did listen to her story, and during so tried not to question her sanity _too _seriously, Ichigo also noticed smaller things. Like how her eyes brightened when she got really excited, and how rapidly she gesticulated. Her hands always made such big motions when she talked and once or twice they nearly smacked him in the face. Still, he would gladly risk a bloody nose to hear her sound so happy.

"So you see, Kurosaki-kun, that's why you can't trust penguins. Especially with chopsticks." Orihime nodded very seriously to herself, her lips puckered slightly.

"Uh-huh," he said, suppressing an amused smirk.

Her face fell slightly. "Ah, you don't believe me?"

"I don't believe penguins would invade Japan with just chopsticks." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I figured they'd use, you know, armored tanks and bazookas."

"And rocket launchers?" she suggested excitedly.

"Sure, why not?"

That's what their conversation was for the rest of the walk: how penguins would invade Japan. Ichigo gave up on his own sanity when they concluded that the penguins would use their natural adaptation to a cold climate to induce an ice age that only they could survive in with their allies the polar bears, but he wouldn't have stopped himself for anything. Orihime had looked so excited…

They turned the final corner in the warehouse district, and both of them halted. Shinji was on the ground, his arms carefully folded on his chest. Sakanade was also on the ground by his side.

"Shinji-kun?" Orihime called out in worry.

He turned his head towards them. "Yo."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, assured Shinji wasn't injured. "The hell are you doing?"

He pointed to the sky. "Look at how dark it's getting. I think it's gonna snow."

Orihime gasped excitedly. "Really?" She hurried over to Shinji, and sat next to him, her head tilted up, her hair falling back over her shoulders to touch the ground. "I can't wait! I love the snow!"

"You, too?" Shinji said. He looked back up at the sky. "Even when I was in Soul Society, I looked forward to the first snow."

Ichigo opened his mouth, but closed it. He seemed to struggle for words for a minute. "Uh…"

Orihime smiled sympathetically at Ichigo. "Sorry, Kurosaki-kun. We should get to work, huh?"

He shook his head. "If you guys wanna stay out here a bit-"

"We'll be inside in a few minutes," Shinji said suddenly. "Why don't you go in and warm up a bit with Kensei? He's wanted to take a shot at you."

"Great," Ichigo mumbled. He nodded to them, and shuffled inside. He opened the warehouse door, and shot another look over his shoulder at Orihime and Shinji before walking inside.

The moment Ichigo disappeared inside and was out of earshot, Shinji brusquely asked Orihime, "So, what're yer thoughts on Ichigo?"

Her eyes widened. Her face turned bright red, and she looked up at the sky. "Um, wh-what do you mean?"

"I just meant with the weird way he's been acting lately," he said, "but it seems ya thought I meant somethin' else." He grinned. "Which makes me wonder: what _did _ya think I meant?"

"N-nothing! I just thought it sounded odd, and well, you know… um…"

Shinji was chuckling rather mischievously. "It's okay. You don't need to answer it. Not in that respect, anyway." His expression turned serious. "But I would like to know if ya've noticed how strange he's been actin' the past week."

As her flush died down, Orihime thought about Shinji's words. "Yes, I have," she said quietly. "He seems to be forcing himself to act normally."

"That's what Ishida concluded," Shinji said. "He was askin' me about it yesterday. He was wonderin' if somethin' happened."

"You know, I asked Rukia-chan about it two days ago, but she insisted nothing was wrong."

Shinji frowned suspiciously. "Strange. Kuchiki is usually one of the first to know if somethin's wrong."

"Maybe she doesn't know."

"Or maybe they're hidin' somethin'," Shinji said. He grabbed Sakanade and got to his feet. "Well, if it's gonna snow, it won't 'til later." He reached his hand out towards her.

She took it, and stood up. "Thanks."

They walked inside together. As Shinji shut the door, he asked her, "Hey, Orihime-chan. Would you talk to him about what's goin' on? Especially since Kuchiki's actin' so odd about it?"

"Me? But-"

"If he'll tell anyone, it's you," Shinji said with quiet confidence.

Orihime blinked, but nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

He nodded back, and they said nothing further to each other. When they got downstairs, they were greeted to Ichigo and Kensei going at it with zeal.

"All right!" Shinji called out as he descended the stairs with Orihime. "What's his time?"

Love checked the timer. "About five minutes and doing the same as before."

"Hmm." Shinji scratched his head. "Well," he turned towards Orihime, "you haven't heard any more voices, right?"

"No."

He glanced over at Ichigo. "And nothing from your Hollow?"

"…No."

Orihime caught the hesitant pause. She waited until his eyes met hers. She tried reading them, but he was guarding whatever he was feeling very carefully, which was a give-away in itself. Her heart clenched as she considered Shinji's words: _"Or maybe they're hidin' somethin'." _What if he was right? But why would they?

"Well, that doesn't help much," Hiyori said, bringing Orihime out of her thoughts. "The hell are we supposed to do?"

"Maybe we just have to wait," Riza suggested. When her friends turned around to protest, she cut them off with a wave of her hand. "I know, I don't like it either. I don't want to _wait _for something to happen, but we might not have a choice."

Kensei sighed in aggravation. "The problem is, there's no _safe _way of doing it. Quite frankly, all we'd need to do is go all out and attack Ichigo, blow a hole in his chest, and then threaten Orihime."

"But obviously that's not happening," Rose said quickly when Ichigo began to take a step towards Kensei. "He was being hypothetical. None of us here want to blow open chests or threaten Orihime-san."

"There has to be another way," Shinji said. "We just haven't figured it out." He unsheathed Sakanade. "Well, let's just try and draw out his Hollow powers as much as possible. Maybe something will come to us along the way."

* * *

Tatsuki, Kegio, Mizuiro, and Sado arrived at the warehouse around 3 in the afternoon to pick up Ichigo and Orihime. When they walked down into the basement, they found Ichigo, Orihime, and the Vizards sitting in a circle, deep in thought.

"Uh, hey guys," Tatsuki said as she hurried down the stairs. "Any luck?"

"Does it look like we had any?" Shinji remarked dryly, shoving away the empty bags and plastic wrappers from lunch. "Hell, we've just been sitting and talking for the past two hours."

Sado nodded to Ichigo and Orihime as they got. "At least you're not too tired."

"That's right!" Keigo said, waving his arms in jubilation. "We've got the show at 10 tonight! A special preview before everyone else!"

Mizuiro glanced away from his phone at Keigo for a moment. "We won't be the only ones in the theater, Asano-san."

"Well, duh. I meant the general public!" He grinned broadly. "And three of us brought dates!"

Tatsuki glared at him. "Keigo, for the umpteenth time, I did not bring Sado along as a date." When Keigo opened his mouth to protest, she clenched her fist and drew it back.

"Er, right… sorry. Well, two of us did, then!" He sighed dramatically. "Sadly, I'm not one."

Mizuiro patted him on the back without looking up from his phone. "It'd be crowded if we all had one."

Orihime smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Kurosaki-kun and I are just going as friends, Asano-kun."

Ichigo's gaze fell to floor. _Why don't I like the sound of that? _

"Really?" Keigo said in disbelief.

"Yes, Keigo," Ichigo said through gritted teeth. "Look, can we just get going?"

Tatsuki eyed him warily. "Yeah, yeah. We're just going to my house for awhile, anyway."

Ichigo then realized his slip-up, and mentally winced. _Shit. _"Sorry. Just tired, and I don't want to hold up Shinji and the others." He glanced back at him. "Thanks again. We'll see you tomorrow."

The elder Vizard nodded to him. "Sure."

The others began to move out, saying their good-byes as they climbed up the stairs. Ichigo put his foot on the first step when Shinji called out, "Wait, Ichigo."

He stopped, and looked behind him. "What is it?" He frowned in confusion when Shinji seemed to hesitate and said nothing. "Shinji?"

"You okay?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked defensively. He hadn't expected the question.

"You sounded kind of upset before," Riza said before Shinji could.

_Not upset. Just – wait, why do they care? _He shook his head. "Not really."

When he was met with eight expectant gazes, he sighed. "I don't know. I was just…"

"_I think the answer's obvious." _Rukia's words rung true again. Ichigo closed his eyes, and turned back towards the stairs. He made himself take a step back in his mind, and just accept the first answer that came. "Disappointed."

He bounded up the stairs. He never saw their reactions. He didn't want to. He wasn't sure how _he_ was even supposed to react.

* * *

The hours spent at Tatsuki's house sped by in a blur of activity, food, and thoughts. Ichigo had distanced himself a little from the others. He hadn't meant to, but he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he couldn't help it.

He loved Orihime, he knew that. However, he thought he would be fine with keeping that fact to himself. Though he promised Rukia he'd think about it, that didn't mean he had to tell her in the end. Still, it felt like something wrung and twisted his insides when Orihime said they were just going as friends. _I'm being selfish, _Ichigo thought bitterly. He had no right being upset that they weren't together. Hell, he should feel grateful she was even friends with him.

He was spaced out on Tatsuki's couch when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He didn't need to look up to know who it was. "Inoue."

"Are you okay?" she whispered. When he met her eyes, his heart fell. Her eyes were wide in concern, and there was a slight fear in them. He had her worried.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Ichigo shifted on the couch to meet her stare evenly. "A lot on my mind."

Orihime nodded from her perch on the couch. She hunched over herself, away from him, her hair falling forward and shielding her face. "It seems like something's been on your mind the whole week, Kurosaki-kun. Everyone's a little worried."

_Damn it. I hadn't fooled them for a second. At least they don't know why. _"Did I seem like that?"

"Yes." She clutched her hands tightly together. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and if you needed to talk that… um, well… I'm here. I mean, I don't know if I'm the one you want to talk to, or if Sado or Tatsuki are better at it, but-"

He hadn't meant to do it, but before he could stop himself, he pulled her to him. He held her in a close embrace, with his cheek against her hair. "Just stay still for a minute."

"Um… okay."

_I should let go. It's not like before, when I was too blind to realize what I was doing. Knowledge doesn't help here; it just makes me more liable to try something. _His arms clutched her tighter. _Let go. Let go let go let. Her. Go._

Orihime sighed lightly as she leaned into Ichigo and hugged him. He nearly froze in surprise. He knew she would be too kind to push him away, but he hadn't expected her to return his gesture. It didn't help there was a niggling voice in his head that reveled in it, and whispered its joy into the recesses of his mind. Worse still, he couldn't even blame it on his Hollow, though he idly wondered what that bastard would say if he saw this.

"Oi, it's 8:30! We need to go!" Tatsuki hollered from the other room.

He wasn't sure whether to be grateful or pissed that Tatsuki interrupted them. Ichigo let go of Orihime, and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, thanks. We better go. So we get good seats."

"Y – yeah." Orihime got up, Ichigo following suit. "Do you have the tickets?"

He nodded, patting his back pocket. "Got 'em. Let's head out before Tatsuki throws a fit."

* * *

The theater building was packed, but they had all expected that. _Bad Shield 2 _was a highly anticipated movie, after all. Mizuiro's date, an older woman who should have been stunning to Ichigo but who simply looked pale and wan next to Inoue, complained about the long lines for concessions, but otherwise none of them uttered a word about the crowd.

It was almost 9:30 by the time they got into the theater where their movie was showing. Tatsuki turned around to count heads when she noticed one orange haired friend was missing. "Orihime?"

Ichigo was staring off into space. Again. Tatsuki frowned at him and kicked his foot lightly. "Ichigo, where's Orihime?"

He blinked, and looked around. "What the hell? I saw her in line with us when we got the food." His voice held a distinct note of worry, even to himself.

Tatsuki then slapped her forehead. "Oh, I know where she is. Check the arcade games. Sometimes she likes watching people play when we come here. If not, well, there's always the bathrooms."

Ichigo nodded and took off without a word. Tatsuki smirked in satisfaction before walking with the others towards the seats.

Mizuiro peered around people, and sighed. "I don't think we're going to get to sit with each other. There are five seats in the one row, but that's it."

Tatsuki looked to where he was pointing. She was about to curse out their luck when she noticed something peculiar. Right behind the five vacant seats Mizuiro found were two other empty seats. _Well, if the five of us go in those seats, then… oh, this is too perfect. _She couldn't help but grin. "It'll be fine. I know who can sit there."

* * *

Ichigo weaved through the swarm of people. His eyes darted from face to face, searching for those wide brown eyes and auburn hair. Really, how hard could it be to-

There. She was by the arcade games, like Tatsuki said, watching a young boy play an old school arcade game. "Inoue!" he called out in relief.

She turned around. She blinked, and then her face suddenly flushed red. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I just wanted to watch for a minute and then I…"

"It's okay," he said. "Tatsuki and the others were getting seats."

She nodded sheepishly, following him with her head slightly bowed as they hurried towards the theater. Ichigo looked for his friends among the seated crowd. He stopped mid-step when he found them. "Uh…"

Tatsuki spotted him, and shrugged helplessly. She then pointed to the seats behind them, and grinned.

_Tatsuki, I'm going to kill you, _Ichigo swore as he climbed the stairs to that row of seats. _How am I going to survive this? I was counting on her ripping out my balls if I tried something, but now she's making – no, letting me sit with her, alone? _

"Looks like Kurosaki-kun got stuck next to me," Orihime said sadly. She looked up at him apologetically. "I'm not fun to sit next to when watching a movie."

Ichigo shook his head as they sat down in their seats. "I doubt that," he said.

Tatsuki and Sado passed back Ichigo and Orihime's chosen snacks and drinks. The martial artist gave Ichigo a subtle thumbs up before turning around to talk to Mizuiro's date.

_Great. _Ichigo wanted to bash his head into the seat. Tatsuki's head would also have been an acceptable substitute.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime bit her lip lightly. "Um, this might sound stupid to say now, but I never saw the first movie."

"Oh." Ichigo took a breath, and explained the plot of the first movie to her. He lowered his voice as exciting previews for upcoming movies began. It wasn't until the end of the third preview that he finally finished summarizing the last movie for her.

Orihime nodded excitedly. "Okay! I think I can get it from there." She looked towards the screen, and tilted her head to the side. "What kinds of movies do you like?" she asked him.

Ichigo shrugged. "Action, comedy, and some classics."

"No horror?" Orihime questioned.

He shrank back into his seat. "I hate horror," he muttered.

The screen flashed, and the movie began. Ichigo rolled his eyes at all the cheering. He nestled into his seat, and waited for the first action sequence.

During a dialogue bit some twenty minutes later, he glanced over at Orihime. Her eyes were glued to the screen, her mouth slightly open. There was a sudden explosion, and she gasped out loud.

_Is that what she meant about not being fun to sit next to? _Ichigo thought. He shook his head slightly. _There's nothing wrong with showing your emotions during a movie._

He looked back to the screen, and grinned slightly. His favorite character just made his appearance. Ichigo grabbed his drink, took a sip and enjoyed the scene.

After about an hour, he looked back at Orihime. She looked pensive as she watched the scene. _I wonder what she's thinking about…_

Suddenly, he thought back to his fight on the dome weeks ago. He winced, remembering that there had been a moment where he could hear her thoughts. _Nevermind. It's an invasion of privacy, and it's bad enough I did once. _He suddenly didn't care whatever was being said in the movie as he thought back to that night. He hadn't given it much serious thought since the few days following it. _Why haven't I? _he thought angrily. _Maybe because so much has happened lately. Still, I should keep trying to remember what I did to… turn into that thing. _

It was hard to figure out a way when no one around him seemed to know. _No. It's my problem. I need to figure it out so it won't happen again. At least, not so unexpectedly. _He still didn't like the thought of purposely bringing that form back out, and a part of him was almost glad the Vizards were stumped in figuring out how.

He rubbed a hand over his face. _Think about it later._

Orihime twitched, and Ichigo looked over at her. Her eyes went wide in excitement, and his gaze followed hers to the screen. His mouth nearly dropped for a moment. _Is… is that a spaceship? No way, it can't be – no, it's not. _He shook his head when what looked like a flying saucer proved to be only a hallucination of one of the main character's.

He heard a disappointed sigh. Ichigo glanced over at his neighbor. When Orihime finally noticed he was looking, she met his gaze with a nervous smile. "Sorry," she whispered quietly.

He shook his head. "Something the matter?"

She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Well, no, but I…" She sunk a little in her seat. "I was kinda hoping it would be the penguins coming to attack."

Ichigo blurted out a laugh. He slapped a hand over his mouth, and tried to contain the rest of his chuckling.

Tatsuki turned in her seat, and frowned. "What are you two doing?" she whispered.

Orihime and Ichigo exchanged glances before they started cracking up. They both fought to suppress their laughter. Tatsuki kept staring in bewilderment until Orihime whispered, "Penguins with – with rocket launchers, Tatsuki."

Their mutual friend slapped her forehead. "Nevermind," she muttered before turning back to the movie.

Ichigo spent the rest of the movie trying not to look at Orihime. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy looking at her, but he was just so afraid he would start laughing again. Orihime seemed to do the same, keeping her eyes glued on the screen. Both of them hardly moved to eat their snacks.

When the movie came to a close and the credits began to roll, Ichigo stretched out in his seat. "I thought it was pretty good."

"It was _awesome_!" Keigo said, nearly throwing his drink into the air. "Better than the first!"

"No way," Mizuiro's date argued. "You can't beat the original of any series."

"Can, too!" Keigo shot back.

"Can not!"

Tatsuki glanced at Sado. "Someone needs to shut them up before I do."

Mizuiro gathered up the trash. "I personally thought it had its flaws, but it was all right."

Ichigo was suddenly glad he was in a different row. He was inclined to agree with Tatsuki, and considered lobbing his empty candy box at Keigo's head.

Orihime looked over at Ichigo, and smiled sweetly as she gathered her things. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

"Huh? Oh," Ichigo nodded to her. "No problem."

"I, um…" Orihime stared at the floor, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink. "I'm really glad you invited me, and that I got to see it… with you." There was a slight emphasis on 'you' which Ichigo did not miss.

In return, he could only stare at her. His lips twitched as he struggled for words. His initial instinct was to say that he was glad she came with him, but the words failed him. _Maybe because there's a lot more I want to say, like I can't believe she didn't mind being seen going to the movies with me, or that I'm really happy that she's glad she came with _me. _I… _

_There's a lot I want to say, now that I think about it._

"Okay people, I need to pee," Tatsuki grumbled as she got to her feet.

"A – ah! Me, too!" Orihime shot up from her seat, nearly falling into the row in front of her. Ichigo snatched his arm out, and caught her in time.

"Easy, Inoue," he said with a forced smile.

Her brow creased as she met his gaze. "Um, thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

He blinked, and realized he was still gripping her elbow. He let go, and looked away. _Smooth move, _he mentally muttered as he grabbed his trash.

The seven of them shuffled out of the theater with everyone else, tossing their trash into the bins and hurrying to the bathrooms. Keigo plowed through the line to get to the men's room, ignoring the curses and complaints. Mizuiro followed after him, texting away on his phone all the while.

His date skipped into the bathroom, with Tatsuki following behind her with a puzzled look. Orihime was walking next to Tatsuki. Before she went into the bathroom, she turned and gave Ichigo a bright smile.

He almost gawked as she disappeared into the restroom. He leaned against the wall with Sado as they waited for everyone to be done in the bathrooms. He was glad his tall friend didn't make small talk. His thoughts were elsewhere.

For whatever strange reason, Orihime's words had given him hope. He didn't know why, but he just felt like he had a chance. _It's so stupid, but… I... what should I do?_

"_I think the answer's obvious."_

His resolve hardened. Maybe he was setting himself up for failure and pain, but he had to try. _You're right, Rukia. The answer _is_ obvious. _

_

* * *

_

It was well past midnight when Ichigo and Orihime rounded the corner onto her street. The wind was bone-bitingly cold but not too strong. Orihime's long hair blew around her face, so that every few minutes she had to push it back behind her red ears. The two of them walked closely side by side, trying to stay warm in the dark December night.

"Ah, we – we're here!" Orihime said when they reached her apartment building. "S – sorry you had to walk so far in the cold, Kurosaki-kun."

"I don't mind," he said softly, his breath floating in the air between them.

They climbed the stairs to her level. Ichigo glanced around them, making sure no one was around. He had no idea how he was going to do this, but he was determined. _Face forward, abandon your fear, all that jazz Zangetsu said…_

The pair paused outside Orihime's front door. The front window was dark. The three reiatsu inside were calm and still. "Looks like Rangiku-san and the others are asleep," Orihime murmured in the cold. "It is pretty late."

"Yeah…" Ichigo looked down at the cement floor. _Damn it, I have no idea how to even start._

"Kurosaki-kun."

His head shot up and their brown eyes met. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Orihime asked. Her hands, covered in pink mittens, reached out for his bare ones. She rubbed them in between her own. "You need gloves," she added thoughtfully.

He looked at her as she warmed his hands in between her own. "You always look after me," he said slowly, "even though I'm the one always trying to protect you."

"I just want to help you," Orihime whispered in the wind. "You work and try so hard. I'm – I'm really grateful for it, you know. I just wish there was more I could do."

To this Ichigo let out a pained laugh. "You have no idea what you've done for me."

"Eh?"

His legs moved of their own accord, pushing her gently into the wall next to her door. "I can't do it."

Orihime, with her hands still covering his asked, "Do what?"

Just then, it began snowing. They looked up at the sky as the flakes fell. Ichigo sighed softly, but found the snowfall oddly comforting. It helped him regain his confidence as he spoke again. "Hide it. What I've been hiding the past week." He shook his head. "What Rukia knows, what the others know but don't think I know…" He gave her a half-smile. "They know a lot more than they let on."

He understood the confusion on her face. Hadn't he felt the same when he first figured it out? "They know something?"

"Yeah. I know it, too. And I can't fight it." His forehead bumped against hers. "It's funny, because I don't want to anymore. But, Inoue, please stop me if you want."

Maybe she knew what was coming, because she didn't say anything when his face came close to hers. She didn't move when his lips pressed against hers, either. As he kissed her, he waited for it. Waited for her to push him away or crane her head to the side to avoid him.

What he hadn't expected (the day had been full of things he didn't see coming) and what made him so happy was when she kissed him back. It was nothing like what they had shared so far. This was something he had done of his own conscious accord and of course, this kiss was infinitely better than everything else.

Their lips parted for a moment, leaving both of them smiling. Ichigo released one of his hands from Orihime's, and cupped her cheek. "Can I see you tomorrow, after training?"

It was one of the small things he loved about her; he didn't have to elaborate on anything he said for her. She nodded happily. "Yes. I'd like that. Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere" was all he said before he leaned in for another kiss. The wind began blowing fiercely and both their noses and ears were red and cold, but the new couple hardly cared as their kiss deepened, and all the world just seemed to disappear.

* * *

**A/N: **...Well, that'll teach Kensei to bet against a Shihouin, eh? Yoruichi's intuition FTW.


	11. Chapter 11

Okaaaaaay, it's been awhile. FORGIVE ME. This chapter just gave me a lot of problems. My beta says to blame her since it took her a bit to give me back the edited version, but trust me, it's all my fault. Therefore, aim your abuse at me. I can take it... maybe.

Thank you sooo much **sam, Innocence of a rose, BleachFanPR, AvioNN, Twix10, HARUAL, thatEndlessOblivion, anthem2521, bleachbabe03, alice hattercandy, Lyhime, chuchootrain, shadowanime1, Duvet, war90, Yanaril, HypnoDarkrai5, Agent-G and Emuri **for the reviews! (Wow what a list XD ) I love them all.

Extra special (blameless) thanks to **PerennialLurker **for beta-reading this rather large chapter. She does an amazing job of making these chapters coherent and clear.

I will insert my obligatory plea for reviews and feedback, because it's food for inspiration, ya know? This chapter's bribe is a pile of snow, because there's too much of it where I am. Take some! ... Oh, I'm kidding. The real bribe is a Rangiku PEZ dispenser. Because I'm tired of doing plushies all the time and who doesn't want Rangiku giving them candies?

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Love in face of the approaching storm_

The sun moved across the room, shining in and around the faded yellow curtains. It picked out the detail on the pink bedspread, it made the blue hairpins shine radiantly. The sun moved on to illuminate the red hair of the sleeper, inadvertently awakening her. Orihime opened her eyes dazedly and then shut them again with a wince. The light was particularly blinding. She rose and moved across the cold floor to the window. Tweaking aside her curtain, she peered out.

The whole town had turned a soft, gentle white overnight. _Ah, that's why the sunlight is so bright. It's reflecting off the snow. _She gazed out over the city, or what she could see of it. There was nothing but white for miles around her. Buildings, homes, trees… everything was covered by the snow. The whole city seemed still underneath it.

_It's so pretty, _Orihime thought wistfully as she continued to stare out the window._ It'll melt quickly, but right now, it's just perfect. Even last night it-_

Last night's events flooded through her mind, and Orihime blushed furiously. _Kurosaki-kun… _Her fingertips barely grazed her lips. _He - he really kissed me. _His words, his voice, the way he got closer and closer, and when they actually kissed… it was like a scene straight out of one of her dreams, but yet it was so much more vivid.

Despite her scarlet cheeks, Orihime smiled widely. _He really did. And he wants to hang out with me after training, too. I just, I can't believe it. The snow, the memory, and just everything seems so perfect._

Muffled sounds from the living room drew Orihime's attention back to reality. "Looks like everyone's awake," she said to herself. She walked to her closet, and pulled out a fuzzy blue robe. Pulling it on, she stepped into her matching slippers before stepping out of her room.

Her three house mates were in the kitchen, working together in haphazard order to make breakfast. Momo turned, and waved to Orihime. "Ah, good morning! How was the movie?"

"It was great!" Orihime said cheerfully as Rangiku and Hitsugaya turned to see her. "Did everything go okay last night?"

"We were fine. No sign of Urahara-san, but we did what we could," Hitsugaya assured her. "You didn't get caught out in the snow coming home, did you?"

She shook her head. "Came home just as it started."

"It's so pretty," Rangiku said, echoing Orihime's thoughts. She brushed back her long hair as she leaned against a counter. "It won't last long with that sun, but it's still nice. Taichou was happy to see it," she said, smiling amusedly at her captain.

"I like snow," he muttered, "So what?"

"What was the movie about?" Momo asked Orihime. "You said it was an action film or something?"

"Yeah. Lots of fighting and explosions and stuff," Orihime said with a laugh. "It was a lot of fun. It was nice to see it with my friends, although I wish we all could have been there." She started rummaging through her cabinets for tea packets.

"Did Kurosaki walk you home?" Hitsugaya asked casually as he pulled out some bowls from the cupboard above him.

"Y – yeah," Orihime said, fighting the urge to blush as she buried her head into the cabinet.

Rangiku chuckled slyly. "He always walks you home. I mean, really," she rolled her eyes, "Considering how often he does, he should charge you. Perhaps with good-night kisses."

Orihime dropped the packets of tea she found in shock. Her face turned bright red and her eyes darted in Rangiku's direction. "How did you-" It was only then, when she saw Matsumoto's confused expression that she realized the older woman had only been teasing.

However, it was too late. Matsumoto's eyes were so wide and bright they could have been used as searchlights. "Orihime," she said slowly, "did he actually kiss you?"

Orihime tried to hide the flush on her cheeks behind her hands. "Well, um, I mean… kind of-"

She was met with a face full of breast as Rangiku squeezed her in a bear hug. "_I can't believe it!" _she squealed. "He finally made a move? Oh!" She hugged her tighter, ignoring her gasps for air. "This is so exciting! Screw making breakfast. We're going out to eat, my treat!"

She finally let go of the suffocating Orihime, and made a dash for the bathroom. Orihime forced her eyes to focus as air rushed back into her lungs.

Momo giggled as she walked up to Orihime. "I think it was about time he did something. I'm glad it happened." She scratched her head. "Just be ready for an interrogation at breakfast. Rangiku-san loves getting every single detail."

Orihime chuckled nervously. "Ah well. I guess I can't complain. She would have found out on her own."

"All too true," Hitsugaya muttered darkly. "I wouldn't underestimate Kuchiki, either. She knows Kurosaki too well. Not that this is either of their business." He sighed, his expression put-off.

"She probably already does!" Rangiku shouted from the bathroom. "She'll probably be calling-"

The phone rang, and Orihime's mouth dropped as Hitsugaya slapped his forehead. "Damn her and her intuition," he muttered. "Now we'll never hear the end of it."

Orihime hurried into the living room, stumbling over the edge of her couch. She fell on her knees, but ignored the pain as her hand quickly snatched the phone off its stand. She winced, and answered, "Hello?"

"_Orihime!" _Sure enough, it was Rukia. "_Congrats! Now see, what did I tell you?_"

Orihime blinked rapidly as she tried to process the information. "D-Did Kurosaki-kun tell you?"

"_He didn't have to, trust me._" Rukia's tone was confident, if not a little smug. "_It's Ichigo. He can't hide much from me."_

Orihime giggled, even as she heard Ichigo yelling in the background. "Ah. He sounds kind of mad…"

"_Only at me, I can assure you. He woke up this morning with a smile and I just knew-" _Rukia's voice was cut off suddenly, and Orihime winced as she heard the two friends snapping at each other and fighting over the phone.

Her eyes met Hitsugaya's. When he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged and smiled. He rolled his eyes, and Momo giggled.

"_Inoue?_" Ichigo's voice came on the phone.

"A-Ah! Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime flushed faintly as her voice lowered. "Good morning."

"_Morning,_" he said. "_Uh… did you sleep okay?_"

She suppressed a giggle as she nodded. "Yes. Did you?"

"_Yeah. A little too well, apparently."_ He sighed in aggravation. "_Damn midget. Freaking pounced on me the moment I walked outside my room."_

"Is that when she found out?"

"_Unfortunately," _Ichigo said darkly.

"Well, Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-taichou and Hinamori-san all found out, too."

There was a long pause on the other end before he said, "_Matsumoto-san. She knows."_

She supposed that _was _a rather scary thought. "Yeah."

She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a thump. Maybe it was Ichigo pounding his head into a wall. "_Damn it. I hope she doesn't get on your case about it."_

"We're going out to breakfast, but it'll be okay! Really," she said, desperately trying to sound reassuring. "Everyone is gonna find out eventually, right?"

Matsumoto poked her head out of the bathroom. "Is that Kuchiki?"

"It's Kurosaki-kun," Orihime answered, moving the phone away from her mouth. "Rukia-chan did call, though."

"Ha," Matsumoto said in triumph. "Tell him I said it took him long enough!"

Orihime nervously brought the phone back to her lips. "U-um…" Did Rangiku really expect her to tell him that?

Luckily, Ichigo made it easy for her. "_I heard her,_" he said. Orihime could almost see the eye roll. "_Do you know where you're going to eat, so then maybe I can meet you there?_ _I mean, after you're done, I wouldn't want to just walk in and…"_

"I know," Orihime said calmly. "Um, we'll probably go to the restaurant down near the high school. Do you know that one?"

"_Yeah. I'll pick you up there and we can head to the warehouse."_

"Okay! But, umm…" Orihime scratched her head nervously. "Do you think we should tell Shinji-kun and the others? I mean, it might be awkward if we don't at some point."

Another long pause, and then, "_Not during training. We'll never hear the end of it."_

"You think they'd be that bad?" she said as Rangiku came out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

"…_I'd rather deal with Matsumoto-san than them."_

As Rangiku gestured to the bathroom, Orihime nodded to her and then said to Ichigo, "Oh, um, I have to get going, Kurosaki-kun. I'll see you later?" Orihime said as she moved towards her bedroom to grab clothes to wear for the day.

"_Yeah. I'll meet you in an hour or two. I…" _

Orihime waited as Ichigo struggled to say something. "Kurosaki-kun?"

"_I… I gotta go, too, sorry. See you at the restaurant._" Before she could react, he hung up, leaving her wondering what he had really tried to say.

* * *

It bothered her the rest of the morning, even during Matsumoto's relentless interrogation during breakfast. In between questions, Orihime mulled over what Ichigo had tried to say. _Maybe I'm over-thinking it, _she concluded. It was too difficult to tell what he meant without seeing his facial expressions and body language.

When the check was paid and the empty plates taken away, Orihime smiled graciously at Matsumoto. "Thank you!"

"Hey, this is a big day. Your first boyfriend!" She grinned widely. "Are the two of you doing anything later?"

Orihime nodded ecstatically. "Yes! Well, we have training today, but then afterwards he wanted to hang out."

"Mmm-hmmm." Matsumoto's grin turned sly. "Where, exactly?"

"None of your business, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya growled, glaring at his vice-captain. "Stop pestering her."

"Taichoooooou," Matsumoto whined. "You're ruining all my fun!"

"Your sense of fun is twisted," he countered.

Momo shifted uneasily in her seat, and nudged Hitsugaya's foot with hers. "Hitsugaya-kun."

He sighed, and turned to her. "It's Hitsugaya-taichou, and what is it?"

Her eyes darted to something behind Hitsugaya and Matsumoto before looking back at him. "That guy back there has been staring at us the entire time," she said.

The captain and vice-captain turned in their seats. Several tables behind them sat a lone man. His gaze never wavered from theirs, even when Hitsugaya frowned at him.

"No one has talked to him," Orihime murmured, "or come to take his order. He's just been sitting there."

"The entire time?" Hitsugaya asked, looking back at Orihime.

Both girls nodded.

"He might be a spirit," Matsumoto said. "His reiatsu isn't human, I can tell you that much."

"Then we can't go up to him, not here." Hitsugaya got up from his seat. "Maybe if we go outside he'll-"

The restaurant door opened, and Ichigo walked in. His eyes darted to where the four of them were sitting. He began to walk towards them when he saw who they were staring at. "What's-"

The man ignored their gaze coolly, but when he spotted Ichigo, his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. In one flash-step he was at Ichigo's side, his hand in a loose fist. Hitsugaya jumped to his feet and Ichigo's eyes widened in confusion, but before they could move the man brought his hand down onto Ichigo's arm, jerked it up again, and vanished.

Ichigo swore and clutched his arm, his injured hand reaching vainly to the spot where his attacker had stood. It was too late, and he was left standing in the doorway, a small bruise forming where a needle had entered his arm.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime stumbled out of her seat as she tried to get to him. She immediately got up and hurried to him. The others followed, and Hitsugaya ushered them outside.

"Are you all right?" he asked Ichigo the moment they stepped out into the cold. "What happened?"

"No clue," Ichigo said as he looked around him. "Guy just whizzed by me and punched something into my arm. Felt like a needle. I barely saw him."

"He was fast," Rangiku murmured as she hunched her shoulders in the cold. "But I don't understand what that was even about. Hinamori and Orihime just saw him staring at us and then you walked in. He wasn't human, so maybe he was focusing on our reiatsu? Collectively, it is pretty high."

Hitsugaya looked around, more than likely trying to see which direction the man took off. "Perhaps. I can't see him," he said with an irritated sigh, "and I can't sense his reiatsu." He looked up at Orihime and Ichigo. "Be careful walking to training today. Be sure to tell Shinji what happened. We need to keep a look-out for this guy."

He crossed his arms, but didn't budge as a sharp gust blew in. "This can't be a coincidence. Urahara disappears and now this man shows up, watching us."

Rangiku sighed heavily. "Go figure. We better inform Soul Society." She winked at Ichigo. "Can't have people going around stabbing our substitute shinigami."

"Gee, thanks," Ichigo mumbled under his breath. He looked over at Orihime. "We should get going."

"Yeah." Orihime bowed slightly to Rangiku. "Thank you so much for breakfast!"

"Don't mention it. And oh, Kurosaki," Rangiku said over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "don't think you're off the hook. We'll be talking later!"

Hitsugaya sighed, and Hinamori giggled as they began to leave. They nodded their good-byes before they walked off with Rangiku, who began to try to talk them into some shopping.

"Great," Ichigo muttered. "just what I need." He paused, and glanced down at Orihime. "How bad was she in there?"

Knowing that perhaps leaving details out would be best, Orihime just shrugged. "Rangiku-san likes having a full description." Without thinking, her hand reached out and touched where Ichigo had been stabbed. "Does it hurt?"

"Just sore," Ichigo said. "It'll go away soon."

"Ah well, let's show it to the Vizards," Orihime suggested. She began walking, Ichigo falling in step alongside of her. "Since Urahara-san's still missing, they're the most likely to know who it was."

He nodded, but Orihime wasn't sure if he had faith in that suggestion, since she even had to admit it was highly unlikely the Vizards would know anything. As they turned down the street that led them to the warehouse district, Orihime pulled her hand away after realizing it was still touching his arm. She promptly flushed and looked ahead.

She could almost feel Ichigo's stare, but she wasn't sure why he was looking at her. She put on a smile, wishing she could think of something to say. Just yesterday they had been talking the whole way to training. But today, it was like the snow had frozen the air between them.

Unable to think of what else to do, she mustered the courage to look up at him. "Umm…"

Both of their eyes widened simultaneously when Ichigo's hand brushed against Orihime's. She blushed again as Ichigo glanced up at the sky. Orihime frowned in concern when he started to blush a deep, bright red as well.

It wasn't until she felt his fingers hesitantly intertwine with hers that she understood why he was flushing. Since she was sure her face couldn't flush a deeper red, she instead smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

They walked a little further in a more comfortable silence. It was a strange thing, holding hands with him, but Orihime would never call it unpleasant. She was more surprised at how quickly she got used to it than anything.

"Inoue," Ichigo hesitantly said as they entered the outskirts of town. "There's something I think I should… tell you."

Orihime nearly stopped in her tracks, but willed herself to keep going. She didn't want to appear too suspicious. "Oh? Is everything okay?"

He seemed unsure as to how to answer to that. His brows furrowed as he said, "Well, I guess. I mean… do you remember that day in training, when you heard that voice in your head?"

She nodded. "Yes." She tilted her head to the side, wondering if he had figured it out.

"I - I had a talk with my Hollow that night."

_So, he does know. _"Ah," she said with a sad smile. "so it was Shirosaki-kun, wasn't it?"

She felt and saw him jerk in surprise. "How did you-"

"You told me on the walk home that Shirosaki-kun called you 'king.' The voice in my head called me 'queen,' so I wondered if there was a connection." She shrugged as he only stared at her. "And the voice didn't sound like a human's."

Ichigo used his free hand to smack his forehead. "That imbecile… it called you that?" He sighed when she nodded. "It called you that when I talked to it the other night." He opened his mouth again, looked at her, and then shut it. There was obviously something he wanted to say, but changed his mind. Instead, he asked, "You haven't heard it again, have you?"

"No, I promise. Did he tell you anything else?"

"Refused," Ichigo spat. His anger was evident in the deepened crease of his brown and the flare in his eyes. "All but told me what everyone else was telling me about you, but wouldn't tell me what's going on. It has a brand though, too. On its hand. I guess Zangetsu also has one, from what it told me."

"They do?" Orihime said in surprise. "Like the Shun Shun Rikka?"

"Yeah, but it's not a Hollow mask like they have," Ichigo said grimly. "It looks like one of your hairpins. A hibiscus."

Oh, that couldn't be good, she thought. Orihime bit on her lip pensively, trying to make sense of it. What did this exchange of brands mean? A symbol of Ichigo's power on her Rikka, and a symbol of her power on his Hollow and Zangetsu? "What on earth is happening?"

"I don't know, and I can't tell if it really knows either." Ichigo shook his head, and ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "We'll figure it out, somehow."

It was hard to think otherwise, she noticed, when he was giving her such a soft, determined look. Despite her insecurities and her worries for the future, she smiled brightly. It felt like Ichigo's confidence and determination was flowing into her through his hand. "Yeah, we will. But, um," she hesitated as she thought back over his words, "what did you mean, when you said he told you what everyone else was telling you about me?"

Ichigo's blush returned, and he stared at the ground as his shoulders hunched. "Oh, uh, well…"

_He's uncomfortable. What could Shirosaki-kun have told him that- _"Ohhh." Orihime flushed, but giggled. "He told you?"

"Unfortunately, it's privy to all my thoughts and feelings, even the ones I'm not completely aware of."

"It makes sense," Orihime said thoughtfully. "He's a part of you. I would think he would also know how to tell you without actually telling you. He _is _you."

Ichigo grumbled under his breath. "Yeah. Still, I'd rather have heard it from anyone else, even freaking Ishida, than my Hollow. I'm kind of worried about why it told me, though. It never tells me anything unless it has something to gain from it."

Orihime glanced ahead, wondering what to say when she spotted a familiar group of warehouses. "Did you tell Shinji-kun about this?"

"No, though I should have." Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly. "I just had a lot on my mind, and I really didn't want to put myself into a situation where I had to tell him about the more… private matters of the conversation."

Although Orihime was sure Ichigo didn't mean that in a negative way, she couldn't help but start to wonder why Ichigo didn't want anyone to know about them. Her head bent down as Ichigo led her to the Vizards' warehouse.

_What if he doesn't want to tell anyone because he doesn't want to be seen with me? I mean… _She didn't notice Ichigo pausing in front of the door, scowling heavily. _I don't know if he thinks of me as really pretty. And I know I'm clumsy and strange. Maybe he finds it embarrassing? I know he said he just didn't want to deal with them, but what if he was just…_

"Where the hell are they?" Ichigo mumbled as he hit the switch to open the door. "I don't sense their reiatsu. Do you, Inoue?"

_I don't know what everyone else thinks of me. I mean, everyone's incredibly kind but maybe they think I'm a ditz, too? I don't know how happy Tatsuki-chan will be about this. I don't know what anyone will think. I'm sounding so paranoid. But I just, I don't know if Kurosaki-kun likes being associated with me as more than nakama or if he even-_

"Inoue?"

Her back went ramrod straight as she realized she had been spacing out. "Ah! Oh, we're here!" She ran inside, letting go of Ichigo's hand. She stopped halfway inside the warehouse when she realized the latch to the underground area was shut and no one was inside. "They're not here?" She glanced around. "I don't sense them. Ah, maybe the gnomes got them!"

Ichigo was silent as Orihime pondered over this. "The gnomes that live underground must have come up after a thousand year sleep and-"

"Inoue."

She slowly turned around to face him. When their eyes met, her heart sank at how hurt he looked. "Kurosaki-kun?"

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "You looked almost sick before."

"N- nothing!" Orihime said, waving her hands. "There must have been frogs in my stomach again! They like to jump around and sometimes… they…" she trailed off when he frowned at her.

"Don't hide things from me," Ichigo said in a low warning tone. He walked up to her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" he repeated.

Orihime looked at the ground, torn between the desire to explain her worries and the fear that they would be confirmed. "I just… are you ashamed?" she asked quietly.

"Ashamed?" He tilted his head to the side. "Of what?"

She clutched her hands tightly together. "Well, um, of maybe… me? Like, of being seen with me like – like this?"

He said nothing as he forced her chin up so she could look at him. Her stomach did flops (or maybe it was the frogs again, she thought) as she fought to meet his gaze.

"Why would I be ashamed?" Ichigo said angrily. Orihime nearly flinched as he continued, "I wouldn't have confessed anything to you if I felt _ashamed_ or something as equally ridiculous."

"I-"

She couldn't get another word in edge-wise before he bent his head down and kissed her, perhaps to emphasize his point. The hands on her shoulders kept her from stumbling back in astonishment. After a few seconds of hesitation, she allowed him to deepen the kiss.

She decided when they parted a minute later that Ichigo could be very convincing, given the chance. She almost laughed at loud at the thought. Feeling a little bold, she stood on her tip-toes and gave him another kiss, which he returned. For a few blissful seconds, the warehouse and everything around them vanished, and was replaced with tranquility.

That was, of course, until the Vizards decided to flash-step into the building.

"Sorry we're late!" Shinji apologized, adjusting his hat as he skidded inside. "We had to-"

Everyone in the room froze, including the couple caught red-handed. Orihime had never seen Shinji looked so shocked as he stared, his eyes unblinking. It wasn't until Kensei cursed out loud that the silence was broken.

"Oh, right," Riza said with a smirk when Kensei crossed his arms, "this means you owe Yoruichi 5,000 yen, doesn't it?"

"Damn Shihouin," Kensei growled.

Hiyori glanced up warily at Shinji, who still seemed to be in shock, since he hadn't moved a centimeter. "The hell, Shinji? You gone catatonic or somethin'?"

His shoulders shook as he snorted. His body seemed to vibrate before he broke out in laughter. Orihime watched with wide eyes as he unceremoniously fell back onto the floor, still laughing.

"I think he's finally gone and lost it," Love muttered as he glanced down at his companion rolling on the floor.

"This is - this is too precious," Shinji choked out between laughs. He finally managed to sit up, but was still chuckling as he regarded the two, now embarrassed, teenagers. "So, who's the one who got the balls to tell the other? Wait." He held up a finger, and peered closely at both of them. With a nod, he concluded, "Ichigo, right?"

"Eh?" Orihime was completely taken aback. "How did you know?" She looked up at Ichigo, trying to find some telling sign that Shinji picked up on.

He grinned. "Gut instinct, and I can see him looking a little defensive." He placed his hands on the back of his head, and tilted his hat forward to cover his eyes. "Looks like you took my advice, eh?"

"Oh, shut the _hell _up and open the basement door," Ichigo said with a growl. "We're here to train."

"I hear ya," Shinji said, still grinning widely as he stood up. As he unlatched and opened the door, he turned and said, "Though, if you two have _better _things to do then we'd completely underst-"

Orihime wasn't sure what happened next: all she saw was Ichigo lunging at Shinji, and the next thing she knew, they were in a tangled pile at the bottom of the stairs. She peered down the stairs, eyes wide again as the rest of the Vizards joined her.

"Damn it, Ichigo!" Shinji cursed as he kicked the young man off of him. "We coulda fuckin' broken our necks!"

"It would have been worth it," Ichigo muttered darkly. He got to his feet, followed by Shinji.

"It'd be kinda hard to kiss yer pretty girlfriend there if you were in a neck brace-"

At the top of the stairs, Hiyori slapped her forehead as Ichigo lunged again at Shinji. The two of them went at it, with the others playing spectator. A minute or two into the fight, Hiyori looked up at Orihime with an expression torn between concern and confusion. "The hell do you see in that kid?"

Well, that… that was a good question. Orihime put a finger to her lips in thought. Of course she loved him, but she had hardly taken the time to think over why she did. "Hmmm, well, Kurosaki-kun is a very kind person."

"Kind?" Hiyori repeated, her eye twitching.

"In a strange way," Orihime elaborated with a smile. "He's brash, but that just means he's honest. And he is one of the strongest people I know. He just tries to take on so much and I – I want to help him. I just…" Her smile fell as she fought to find the words. It was hard to pin down what exactly it was about him that she loved. It was everything, from his scowl to his commitment to his friends. How could she sum that up?

Luckily, Rose seemed to understand. "It's all right, Orihime-san. Love's hard to describe in words, isn't it?"

"I suppose someone has to love the Ichigos of the world," Kensei conceded.

Mashiro blinked, and scratched her head. "You mean, there's more than one Berry-tan?"

"How about we stop Shinji and Ichigo from destroying the basement?" Rose suggested with a forced smile as Kensei readied to snap at Mashiro.

Orihime nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we better. Kurosaki-kun got pretty upset with Shinji-kun," she noted with a puzzled frown. "He was just teasing, but Kurosaki-kun didn't take to it well. Maybe that's part of the reason why Kurosaki-kun was hesitant to tell him?"

"I'm sure that's the _entire _reason," Riza said with a smirk. "But I think Shinji's entitled to a laugh. He's been completely convinced this was going to happen since…" she trailed off, and looked over at Hachi. "How long you think it's been?"

"Quite awhile," he said with a shrug.

Mashiro skipped ahead, and pulled Orihime along with her as they headed down the stairs. "You and Berry-tan are pretty cute! Together, ya know?"

"Really?" Orihime asked. Those words brought a rush of happiness through her, enough to make her skip along with Mashiro.

"Oh, sure," Rose agreed. "Like a perfect duet, both of your melodies complement the other. Your patience with his bluntness, your compassion with his strength… I could go on, but I think you understand," he said with an amused smile.

Hiyori shrugged. "Whatever floats her boat," she said.

Orihime smiled widely. Even Hiyori seemed happy for her, though she didn't show it. As she descended down the stairs, she let the fuzzy, warm feeling envelop her. _I feel like I could float like a cloud. _She giggled to herself. _That would be fun! Maybe Kurosaki-kun can turn into a cloud, too, and we can float in the sky together._

Despite the questioning glances the Vizards were giving her, Orihime seemed perfectly happy as she daydreamed a little more. She was smiling until her foot stepped onto the ground, and her eyes fell on Ichigo.

The feeling of bliss vanished, replaced with a heavy, dark burden on her mind. Orihime's smile fell instantly, and she froze.

"They're really going at it," Kensei commented. "Ichigo's in his shinigami form already."

Hachi nodded. "Shinji's on the defensive, too," he said as he watched Shinji block several of Ichigo's swings. He looked down at Orihime, and frowned in concern. "Orihime-san?"

_Something's wrong, _Orihime thought as she took a hesitant step towards Ichigo. It was one thing for Ichigo to be annoyed at Shinji for his comments. That she understood. But the rage and anger she was seeing in his eyes as he kept attacking Shinji was completely unlike him and uncalled for. Yes, something was very, very wrong.

Shinji skidded back, and he glared slightly at Ichigo. "I told you I was completely kidding. You need to cool off, kid."

Ichigo said nothing in reply. He merely swung his arm back, Zangetsu in hand, and shouted, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Shinji didn't even have time to curse as he dived out of the way. He rolled as he hit the ground, and immediately faced Ichigo when he was back on his feet. "The _fuck, _Ichigo?"

"Oi, Ichigo!" Kensei shouted, "Knock it off!"

"Orihime-san?" Hachi said again, this time shaking her shoulder lightly.

"Something's wrong," Orihime murmured, and took another few steps towards Ichigo. _This isn't like him. _"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo glanced over at her, and their eyes met. Orihime then went completely still as she saw black seep into Ichigo's one eye. That black ink that meant his Hollow was emerging. She let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to say or do. "Kurosaki-"

"_Not a word, Queen. You don't want to ruin my fun now, do ya?" _

Orihime let out a choked sound as she grabbed her head and stumbled backwards. _Sh-Shirosaki-kun? What are you- why are you doing this? _

Before Shirosaki could answer, six voices rung out in her head, shouting, _"Get out!" _

The heavy presence that weighed on her when she came down the steps instantly vanished. Her energy was suddenly drained, and Orihime fell forward, still clutching her head.

A pair of strong arms came around her before she could hit the ground, and her face was buried in a shihakusho. Her hands let go of her head, and gripped his shoulders. "I'm okay," she said immediately, her voice muffled by Ichigo's chest.

He hugged her a little tighter. "What happened?" he asked.

Orihime could hear the traces of worry in his voice, but she knew he was fighting to sound calm. She sighed, and said, "I heard him."

Ichigo's arms went rigid. "That son of a bitch," he snapped.

"Erm, care to share?" Shinji said, shouldering Sakanade.

"We were going to tell you about it," Orihime said, lifting her head away from Ichigo's chest. "The voice I've been hearing is Shirosaki – I mean, Kurosaki-kun's Hollow."

Shinji heaved a sigh. "Just like we thought." He glanced back and forth between the two teenagers. "What else do you know?"

Ichigo relaxed his grip on Orihime, but never let go of her as he began to tell the Vizards about his fateful and slightly informative conversation with his Hollow.

* * *

In another part of town, Rukia was slowly walking through one of the parks. On most Saturdays, the park would be bustling with people and activity. There would be couples walking hand in hand beneath the trees as children skirted around them in pursuit of their friends. However, either because of the snow or the chilly wind, the park was almost completely empty save for her.

Rukia's eyes took in the majestic sight around her. The white, frozen world around her was beautiful, and as a shinigami who wielded an ice-type zanpakutou, she found she had a greater appreciation for the wintry scenery. As she stepped down the path, water splashed around her boot as she stepped into a small puddle, and she was reminded to enjoy the snow while it was here. The strong sun would melt it within a few days at most.

She smiled in contentment, and began humming an old tune as her thoughts drifted. _What a great day, _she thought. _The snow has covered the whole city, and it's so breathtaking. _

Of course, to top it all off, two of her best friends were finally a couple. She grinned wickedly as she thought back to that morning. Ichigo's calm and relaxed smile told her instantly what had happened. _What did he expect? He never wakes up with a smile. I mean, he was actually _friendly _at breakfast today and even bid uncle a good morning. _She laughed at the memory of Isshin's shocked expression, and him pulling her aside later and asking what had happened to Ichigo.

_What a day. _Rukia stretched out her arms. _The only part that stinks is that I can't go around talking to everybody about it. It's not my place. _Honestly, it was Ichigo and Orihime's prerogative to do that. _However, I think Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, and Hinamori-fukutaichou know. I remember Ichigo mentioning something Matsumoto-fukutaichou knowing about it, so…_

She smirked. "It'll give me someone to talk to about it," she said to herself as she continued through the park. "But I'd like to get Orihime's side of the story. I know Ichigo won't tell me anything worth a damn," she added with a roll of her eyes.

Her pocket vibrated, and her communicator rang. Rukia's head jerked down, and she frowned as she pulled it out. She flipped it open and answered, "Kuchiki."

"_Rukia?_" It was Renji. "_Where are you?_"

Usually, Renji only concerned himself with her whereabouts if he wanted to meet up with her somewhere. It was her gut reaction to just casually answer and not ask why he wanted to know, but the concern and strain in his voice gave her pause. Her brow creased as she said, "I'm at the park near the shopping district. What's wrong?"

"_Urahara's back._"

Well, she didn't see that one coming. Rukia stopped in her tracks, and refrained from gaping. "What? He – why?"

"_I don't know. He just came back a few minutes ago looking really intense." _Renji paused, and then sighed, betraying his frustration._ "He won't say a thing, though, until everyone's here. I'm gonna give Hitsugaya-taichou a call and tell him. I was wondering if you could go over to the warehouses and tell Ichigo and them? I don't have Shinji or any of their numbers."_

"Yeah, sure." Rukia was already jogging towards the exit. "What about Sado and Ishida?"

"_I'll call them, too. Hope they're at home._"

"Let me know if they're not. I'll find them," Rukia said. "I'll see you later."

"_Yeah."_

He hung up, and Rukia pocketed her phone before accelerating into a full sprint. She wasn't sure what to make of Urahara's sudden return. Of course she was glad he was safe, but it still raised suspicions. She shook her head, and kept running.

_Just focus on getting to the warehouse and bringing everybody to the Shouten. Worry about the rest later. _She repeated the mantra in her head as she hurried through town, but it didn't stop the budding feeling of dread that was settling in her stomach.

* * *

By the time Ichigo was finished, Shinji was already relentlessly twirling his cap on his finger, his expression molded into a frown of concentration.

"Oh," Orihime said after a moment of silence. "There was the incident in the restaurant, too. A man, a spirit of some kind, came up and, well, he stabbed Kurosaki-kun in the arm."

"It felt like a needle," Ichigo said as he pushed up his sleeve. Even though he had been stabbed when he was in his body, there was still a mark on his arm in his shinigami form. "Guy was in and out before anyone could react. He was fast."

"And yer sure he wasn't a shinigami?" Shinji asked.

"Yes," Orihime said. "No one but us at the restaurant saw him. He wasn't wearing a shihakusho or carrying a sword, but it seemed like shunpo to us."

Mashiro glanced up at Kensei. "Shunpo is only learned by shinigami who at least have a low-number seat or have power equivalent to one, right? So, he had to be a shinigami."

"Or was one at some point," Kensei added.

"So, an exile, then," Riza concluded. "That's not good. There should only be eleven people in this town who have shinigami training and are exiles."

"What if he's a deserter?" Hachi suggested.

Hiyori walked up to Ichigo and looked at his arm, scrutinizing the small hole left by the needle. "My question is, what could he have gotten from you in that short amount of time? Couldn't have drawn a lot of blood, if any."

Shinji glanced down at her. "You don't have any ideas?"

The former twelfth division vice-captain shook her head. "Not that I know of, but I haven't been doing any research for over a century." She scowled at Orihime and Ichigo. "Tell that short captain to ask what Kurotsuchi knows. The freak might have developed something and the deserter got his hands on it before he took off."

"This is ridiculous," Rose concluded. "I hope this has something to do with why Urahara took off without a word."

"Like we needed any more problems," Shinji muttered. "Well, whatever. If we start worryin' about everything we'll go nuts, so just keep it in the back of yer thoughts until he shows up again. We got more pressing matters to worry about."

He pointed the tip of Sakanade's sheath at Ichigo's forehead. "Your Hollow being one such matter. That little shit is startin' to piss me off."

"How do you think I feel?" Ichigo retorted.

Love crossed his arms as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's got us in a bad position, though. We can't do anything until it tells us more, which it doesn't seem to want to do."

Orihime clasped her hands together, wishing there was something she knew that could help. "I don't know what the Shun Shun Rikka know, if they know anything at all. We-"

She paused, and suddenly glanced up towards the stairwell. "…Am I sensing Rukia-chan's reiatsu?"

Puzzled, everyone else turned around as well. Shinji's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I sense her, too."

They waited a few minutes, and no one said a thing. Orihime shifted uncomfortably in the silence, but smiled when Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder.

Then, they heard footsteps echoing down the stairs. Rukia emerged, panting as she stopped in the middle of the stairwell.

"Kuchiki," Shinji greeted with a raised brow. "What brings you to this corner of town?"

It wasn't until a few seconds later, after catching her breath, that she answered, "We need to get to the Shouten. Urahara's back."

The silence spread like a shockwave, leaving stunned expressions in its wake. They all exchanged bewildered stares, and the same questions were on everyone's minds. Shinji finally turned towards Rukia again, and nodded. "Well well, that's rather interesting timing."

She shrugged, still just as shocked as they were. "Renji called and told me. Urahara won't say anything until we're all there."

"Uh oh," Mashiro said.

"I concur," Rose said, "That's never a good thing."

"All right," Shinji said, slapping his cap back onto his head. "Get your body wherever you dumped it, Ichigo, and let's roll." He sighed heavily, and frowned as he started towards the steps. "He better damn well have a good explanation ready."

* * *

They were the last ones to arrive. The remaining shinigami, Ishida and Sado were already waiting in the dining room when Rukia walked in, followed by everyone from the warehouse.

Yoruichi was chatting with Rangiku when Kensei stomped in, looking cross. None of them said a word until he slammed the 5,000 yen in front of Yoruichi, and then walked away.

Yoruichi picked it up, and grinned widely. "I guess even my prediction of two weeks was underestimating him."

Rangiku raised her brow. "You had a bet going?"

"Yeah," Yoruichi put away the money. "Started just last week. I predicted two weeks, or I had to pay Kensei 5,000 yen. Looks like my gut was right."

Ishida and Sado, who were standing near where Yoruichi was sitting, exchanged surprised looks.

Renji gave Rukia a bewildered stare. "What exactly are they talking about, and why do you look so smug?"

"A little bird told me something interesting this morning," she said. She turned around, and chuckled when the new couple walked in behind Shinji, hand in hand. "See?"

Ichigo and Orihime both paused when they caught everyone staring at them. Orihime flushed, and chewed softly on her bottom lip as Ichigo scowled at everyone.

"They're still a little shy about it," Shinji said with an amused grin.

"Class will be interesting on Monday, to say the least," Ishida said, pushing back his glasses. "I hope you're prepared, Kurosaki."

"For what?"

Sado gave Ichigo a sympathetic look as he said, "Arisawa."

Ichigo grimaced, and slapped his forehead. "Oh, _shit._ She's going to kill me."

"Nah," Shinji said. "Just a full body cast, I'm thinking."

"You're not helping," Ichigo snapped.

Renji looked down at Rukia. "You know, I'd be more worried about Chizuru than Arisawa," he whispered.

Rukia leaned close to him, and kept her voice low. "Best not to mention that until later."

From the other room, there was the distinct sound of the basement hatch opening. Everyone in the dining room fell silent as they listened. The sliding door joining the two rooms then slid open. Urahara stood in the threshold, donned in a deep black cloak.

"Well, so glad you could join us," Shinji remarked sarcastically.

Urahara smiled tiredly. "Ah, yes. My apologies, everyone. Something came up and I had to investigate it immediately."

"You couldn't even warn one of us?" Renji asked.

"Not exactly. I left right away. Again, I apologize. But is everyone here?"

"I think so," Hitsugaya answered from his seat next to Rangiku. "What was so urgent that you had to look into it by yourself?"

Urahara said nothing at first, instead sitting down next to Yoruichi. He flipped off the black hood that covered his head, and rested his head against his hands. "An informant from Hueco Mundo came by earlier this week and gave me some rather disturbing information."

The whole room went still, and tension thickened in the air as everyone waited for Urahara to continue.

"He told me that Ichimaru and Tousen are working alongside an unknown group of people. We don't know who they are or what they're trying to accomplish, but almost all of the remaining Arrancar have been gathered." He failed to mention the ex-Espada and his position in the whole affair, but as far as Urahara was concerned, now was not the time or place to get into that.

Hitsugaya stiffened. "Another attack, then?"

Urahara nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. But my informant told me something else that worried me even more. I couldn't believe him at first, so I had him take me to Hueco Mundo, and I've been watching their activity the entire week."

"Oh," Shinji pointed to Urahara's cloak. "That's why you were wearing that thing, then?"

"Yes. This cloak suppresses the wearer's reiatsu, so they couldn't sense me while I was there." Urahara ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it even more and adding to his worn out appearance. "On the third day, a powerful reiatsu entered Las Noches. It was a Hollow's, undoubtedly."

Ichigo stared at Urahara, his eyes beginning to widen. "How powerful?"

"Very." Urahara glanced down at the table. "I felt daring and ventured deeper inside, where I got a good look at it. We overheard the Hollow, a male I believe, talking with Tousen and Ichimaru. He has joined them."

The tension was almost suffocating. Hitsugaya clenched his hand tightly, and choked out, "Who is he?"

Urahara sighed heavily, and craned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

When he didn't answer, Yoruichi gripped his shoulder. "Kisuke, who is it?" she asked, her eyes round in worry.

Urahara mustered up all of his courage, and said, "I didn't catch his name, but when I saw him, and felt the full brunt of his reiatsu…" He met the eyes of everyone in the room. "I have no doubt in saying that this Hollow was a Vasto Lorde."

There were no gasps or exclamations of shock or surprise: just wide eyes and stunned silence. Orihime's body trembled slightly, and even Ichigo's reassuring squeeze did little to settle her. Hitsugaya went pale, and let his body fall back against the wall.

Shinji's expression was blank, but his words betrayed his fear. "You're fucking kiddin' me, right?"

"No. I honestly wish I was. The only good news I can bring is that he seems to be the only one they've found. He didn't mention any other Vasto Lordes, but it may only be a matter of time."

Hitsugaya banged his head once against the wall. "Soul Society needs to be told."

"I'd tell them quickly," Urahara advised. "The sooner we're prepared, the better chance we have."

Ishida hesitantly asked, "Do we know just how strong these Vasto Lorde are? I am aware they are stronger than the average taichou, but just how much stronger?"

"We don't know for sure," Momo answered quietly. "We don't even know exactly how many there are in Hueco Mundo. The reports and information on them are few and far between, and they're sketchy."

"All we know," Rangiku added, "is that they're very powerful and not to be dealt with lightly."

Rukia inhaled deeply, and asked, "What do we do?"

"All we can do," Urahara said, "is brace ourselves and hope that we'll be ready when the battle comes."

Ichigo's brow was set into a determined line. He glanced over at Uryuu. "Oi, Ishida."

"Hm?" the Quincy said, raising his brow as he met Ichigo's stare.

Ichigo hesitated, eyeing Orihime warily before asking, "That form that came out on the dome… do you think it could stop a Vasto Lorde?"

Orihime gasped as she looked up at him, and Shinji's temper exploded and he snapped, "Are you _mad_?"

Ishida seemed just as taken back by the question, and he shrugged helplessly. "I can't say. You heard Matsumoto-san and Hinamori-san. We don't know the strength of a Vasto Lorde."

"I know," Ichigo said, glancing at Orihime apologetically, "maybe that wasn't the right way to ask. I just – if that… thing could stop Ulquiorra that easily, maybe it has the best chance of taking on a Vasto Lorde."

As seemingly suicidal and dangerous his logic was, it was hard for anyone in the room to dispute it. Even as Shinji cursed vehemently, and Orihime struggled to find the words to argue against his idea, Ichigo continued, "I'm not looking forward to it, but we have to try."

His eyes met the gaze of every Vizard in the room, and his expression begged for them to understand. "Guys, please."

Hiyori sighed in defeat, and Shinji slammed his fist against a wall. "Fine," the latter said, "we'll get our asses in gear."

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, her tone pleading.

"It'll be okay," he promised with a soft voice. "I'm not gonna let you or anyone else get hurt by this guy."

But that was exactly the problem, Orihime realized as she looked away from his confident gaze. He wouldn't let anyone get hurt, even if it meant he'd get hurt – or worse, killed - in the process.

* * *

**A/N: **It's back to the plotty stuff! I needed to make up for the pure fluff from last chapter. Please don't shoot me for it.

If you loved the chapter, leave a review. If you want to point out something or comment, leave a review. If you absolutely hated it and think I am a total nut, leave a review. I'm open to anything so long as it's done with respect and not 'tude (and no flames.)


	12. Chapter 12

I know it's been over a month, and I was going to try to get this chapter up faster. However, that didn't happen, and for that I blame two things primarily: Final Fantasy XIII eating up two weeks of my life, and me trying a different approach to this chapter in terms of how I write it out. No, nothing's obviously different or anything, but it was a new method and it took a little longer. And general busy-ness on me and my beta's part and me being distracted. So yes, my bad. I hope you all aren't too mad.

Thank yous and shout-outs for **Maeniel Celeres, zodious, Rachel, nekokatnya, Yanaril, MadLady77, AvioNN, Blu inu, ReverIchiHime, anthem2521, war90, shadowanime1, BleachFanJL, and sam** for the reviews! I love them so much.

My beta, **PL**, as usual gets her own paragraph break in thanks for all the awesome work she does. She's a lot busier than I am but she still manages to get all this fixed up and done well.

Without further ado, here's Chapter 12, the last "quiet" chapter for a bit.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_Countdown to the clash_

Like the last sand slipping through an hourglass, the weekend disappeared faster than Ichigo would have believed possible. It was as if the dark shadow of the Vasto Lorde looming over them like a guillotine had sped time up, denying the residents of Karakura town the chance to savor what might be their last days alive. The newly emerged threat weighed on the minds of everyone, and the fear was evident in everyone's eyes each time the subject was mentioned in passing. Ichigo was no different. Even his new relationship with Orihime did little to brighten his or anyone's mood. It was difficult to rejoice for a new love when such a terrible and powerful enemy as a Vasto Lorde threatened to destroy them.

A Vasto Lorde. The image of a human-sized, ruthless Hollow kept flashing through Ichigo's mind as he trudged into the bathroom Monday morning. A Vasto Lorde had joined Tousen and Gin, and suddenly Ichigo found the chances of victory uncertain. To make it worse, they had no idea of the enemy's plans or goals and no way to predict their movements. Anyone could be attacked at any time, and they would have to be ready.

_I'll stop it, _Ichigo thought as he pulled open the bathroom door, and slammed it shut behind him with more force than necessary. _I have to. I might be the only one who can. _He would find a way to defeat it, he swore, even if it meant worrying Orihime.

The expression she had given him when he suggested he fight the Vasto Lorde was one he'd never forget. Her eyes had widened and her jaw had clenched tightly. Everything in her attitude begged him to reconsider, but she had restrained herself from expressing that wish, torn between her fear for his life and her belief in his strength. _That's the worst part_, Ichigo thought. _I feel bad for worrying her, but I should at least be able to be tell her how grateful I am_. Not for the first time, Ichigo wished he was more adept at expressing himself.

He let his clothes fall to the floor, and as he caught his reflection in the mirror, he sighed. The dark circles under his eyes were the most evident result of two sleepless nights. Ichigo closed his eyes and stepped under the spray of hot water._ No matter what, _he thought, _I have to do something. There are worse things than having her angry and upset with me. Not many, but… _ He winced and shuddered as a vision of her dead body flashed through his mind. _I definitely have to do something. If she's alive, at least I can try and make it up to her._

He sighed. _What a great way to start off the relationship, _he thought dryly. _I can't lie to her or anyone. I can't guarantee my safety. But I will guarantee hers, even if it means calling up Tatsuki and-_

Tatsuki. Ichigo froze before he started shampooing his hair, his eyes wide in the realization that Tatsuki still did not know about their relationship. Neither did Keigo or Mizuiro. And he would have to face them in school today.

Suddenly, facing a Vasto Lorde didn't sound so bad.

* * *

When he later voiced his worries to Rukia after breakfast, she laughed it off as she pulled him out the door. "I'm certain she's been expecting it to happen. Of course, that may still not spare you from getting punched, but she won't be terribly surprised."

"Gee, thanks," Ichigo said.

"Likely, she'll just threaten you as per her duty as Orihime's best friend, and then that'll be the end of it. You two have gotten closer," Rukia said, raising an eyebrow, "and you are her friend, too."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "but she's way more protective of Orihime."

"You're one to talk."

"_Shut up,_" he growled under his breath. He rolled his eyes, and turned his head away from her as she snickered. "I'm allowed to be."

Rukia gasped dramatically, as if offended by his bold assertion. "Now, that's something I thought I'd never hear you admit."

His eyes were tight as he stared ahead. "I have reason to be right now."

The tiny shinigami sighed. Their playful banter had come to an end, replaced with a much more serious topic. "The enemy hasn't struck yet, and we're all in danger, not just Orihime."

"I'm going to protect her," he said, "and everyone else."

He looked at her, waiting for a response. Her face was carefully blank, but there was some complicated emotion hovering behind the façade. It was a spark of anger and frustration and something Ichigo didn't recognize. He expected her to start yelling at him, but she turned her head away.

"Let's go walk with Orihime," Rukia said, giving him a forced smile. "I'm sure she'd like that."

"Rukia-"

She shook her head. "Look, when we're at school, try not to think about it. It'll bring everyone down. Besides," She smirked slightly, her usual humorous spark returning to her eyes, "you have other things to worry about when we get there. _Normal _things. Focus on that."

Before he could answer, she darted ahead of him. "Come on!" she urged him. He bit back a growl as he hurried after her. He wasn't sure what he was more annoyed about: her running ahead, or him not having the right words to say.

He was still trying to put words to all the things he wanted to say when reached Orihime's apartment. Thanks to Rukia's insistence on haste, they had arrived just as Orihime, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Hinamori were walking out.

"Oi!" Rukia shouted.

Orihime turned around, and waved to them. "Good morning! I didn't know you were coming this way!"

"Well, you two are dating now," Rukia said in a sagacious tone. "so it's customary you walk to school together. Don't mind us, we'll walk ahead. Right?" she said, glancing up at Orihime's house companions.

"Of course!" Matsumoto said with a wide grin, happily willing to go along with Rukia's suggestion. "C'mon, taichou! Let's give them some privacy."

"Good grief," Hitsugaya muttered as he was pulled along, with Hinamori hurrying after them. Rukia gave Ichigo a wink and a nudge before walking to join the trio.

Orihime flushed as she was left alone with Ichigo. "A – ah, I wasn't expecting that…"

_Neither was I_, Ichigo decided with a roll of his eyes, _or_ _at least I didn't expect them to be quite so blunt about it_. Still, he wasn't going to bemoan some alone time with Orihime. He reached out for her hand, and smiled when her fingers slid in between his. "It'll give us some peace and quiet," he said as he began to walk with her. Their steps were even, and neither of them rushed, leaving plenty of space between them and their friends.

"You look tired," Orihime said, reaching up to trace the dark circles under his eyes with her free hand.

"Lot on my mind," Ichigo admitted. "But I'm going to try not to think about it right now." He would take Rukia's advice and leave those pressing matters at the school gate. "I'm more worried right now about how to keep my balls and my dignity safe from Tatsuki."

The same thing seemed to have crossed Orihime's mind at least once, as she nodded in agreement and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I don't know how she'll take it. I've never had a boyfriend before."

"I've never had a girlfriend before," Ichigo said "so this might be an interesting experience for her in both respects." If not, well, he might walk again. Someday. Far in the future.

* * *

Rukia and Rangiku cast occasional snarky comments over their shoulders, but otherwise the walk to school had been peaceful. Orihime spent most of it telling Ichigo about the new dish she had tried out last night, trying unsuccessfully to be subtle about the fact that there was plenty in her lunchbox today. Ichigo's stomach and brain protested, but his heart could not refuse Orihime anything when she smiled so sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime leaned up on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek.

Ichigo turned his head, and caught the kiss on his lips instead. Orihime flushed, but didn't seem to mind otherwise. Ichigo smirked afterwards, and for the first time in two days, felt at ease.

They both had been so caught up in their little moment that they didn't see Tatsuki up ahead on the steps leading to the front door. It wasn't until she was almost halfway towards them, her long strides eating up the distance, that Ichigo finally noticed her.

"Oh, hell." He braced himself as Tatsuki pushed through the throng of students to get to them. He wanted to close his eyes, but refused out of sheer stubbornness and pride, even as he met her fiery gaze.

She stopped a few paces in front of them, hands on her hips. Her brow was furrowed, but it was difficult to ascertain whether it was creased in annoyance, anger, or confusion. The spark in her eyes seemed to suggest all of them but none of them at the same time. Maybe _she _didn't know what to feel, Ichigo decided.

"Wanna explain?" she demanded.

Orihime looked up at Ichigo nervously. Their eyes met, trying to find the strength to explain in the other's eyes. Orihime took a deep breath, and gave Tatsuki a shaky smile. "W – w – we're, um, you know… kind of-"

"Dating," Ichigo finished. He wasn't going to let Orihime do this alone.

Tatsuki's expression turned deadpan as she repeated, "Dating."

They both nodded.

Tatsuki's eyes darted back and forth between them, but she said nothing. Ichigo glanced to the side, and caught Rukia and the rest of his friends watching the tense scene. There were some other students watching as well, but Ichigo didn't care about them in the least. He waited patiently for Tatsuki to speak, maintaining eye contact, as though she were a wild animal that might attack at any moment.

Suddenly, her hand lashed out and grabbed the front of Ichigo's shirt. "With me" was all she said before pulling him away. Ichigo let go of Orihime's hand, not wanting her to get dragged along with him and knowing that this "conversation" was something she had no part in. He heard his girlfriend protest, but it fell on deaf ears as Tatsuki marched on.

She brought him to a secluded spot around the side of the school, and pushed him up against a tree. Ichigo winced as his back jolted from the impact. He glanced down uneasily at Tatsuki as she pressed her foot to his lower stomach, dangerously close to his nether regions.

She frowned at him. "You remember our pact?"

He was mildly surprised that was the first thing she brought up, but he nodded. "Yeah."

"You won't let anything happen?"

It was his turn to frown at her. "You know the answer to that."

He got a smirk and, "Right. And you know I reserve the right to break you in every place imaginable if you hurt her or break her heart."

"Of course," he answered drolly.

She grinned, and released her grip on him. "Good enough for me."

_That's it? _he thought as he brushed off his shirt. No yelling? No bones breaking? No punches? No bloody noses? Where was the violent, angry, over-protective Tatsuki he knew? Possibly tempting the fates, Ichigo asked, "Seriously?"

"What?" she asked, furrowing her brow at him. "Look, it's not like you're some stranger who's dating her for her boobs. I can actually _trust _you, so there's no reason to beat the shit out of you." She shrugged. "Why expend the effort? Besides, if you're the one who can make her smile like that, who am I to complain?"

Ichigo nodded in complete agreement, realizing that Tatsuki, as someone who also loved and protected Orihime, probably understood his feelings better than anyone else. "So you're not mad?"

"Of course not. Don't you remember our talk we had that day when we made our pact?" she said. "I saw this coming for awhile. We all did."

"That seems to be the general consensus," Ichigo muttered under his breath.

"Hey, it's not our fault you're so slow on the uptake," Tatsuki chided with a roll of her eyes. "C'mon, let's head back before Orihime gets too anxious."

"Yeah." Ichigo hurried ahead of Tatsuki, thinking once more of all the worry he had caused Orihime over the past few days. She saw him first, smiled, and the others followed her gaze, their eyes raking over his uninjured form.

"Ichigo," Shinji said, looking mildly confused, "you're… unscathed."

"Geez, people," Tatsuki muttered as she walked up to them. "I wasn't gonna kill him."

"We were hoping for at least a bloody nose," Renji muttered in disappointment.

Ichigo took Orihime's hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. She beamed at him, obviously the most relieved out of everyone that he wasn't injured. Seeing that bright smile brought back that earlier contentment Ichigo felt. For just a moment, everything disappeared and it seemed impossible to think about all the overwhelming problems and worries he had.

The moment was once again disrupted, this time by Shinji, who was snorting and chuckling behind Ichigo.

In one fluid motion, Ichigo's free hand balled into a fist and slammed into Shinji's nose. Ichigo almost smiled in sadistic pleasure when he heard a crunch, and Shinji's howling. "There's your broken nose, Renji," he said.

Orihime glanced down at Shinji, her face pinched in concern. "You should get to the nurse, Shinji-kun," she said, "and I can heal it later."

He nodded, shooting a death glare at Ichigo as Tatsuki helped him to his feet.

Ichigo didn't need to turn around to see the smoldering looks he was getting. He hardly cared, though, and said, "You deserved it. Now, can we get going before we're late?"

With the dramatics apparently over for the morning, the group headed inside, conversation springing up. Ichigo knew some of it was about him, but he was concentrating on Orihime, who had returned to describing her new recipe. Tatsuki stood firmly on her other side, one arm around Inoue's shoulders, occasionally making a sly remark about their new relationship. Ichigo rolled his eyes affectionately at his oldest friend, secretly relieved that she was taking everything so well.

Orihime had begun describing her new recipe to Tatsuki and how Ichigo was willing to try it when a high pierced shriek resounded from behind them. Ichigo resisted the temptation to smack his palm against his forehead, for he knew whose scream it was.

Despite his better judgment, he turned, and found Keigo staring at him. His friend's eyes were bulging out, and he looked ready to faint on the spot. Mizuiro was standing next to him, rubbing his ear. "You sure know how to scream, Asano-san."

"Wha… WHAT IS THIS?" Keigo demanded, pointing at Ichigo and Orihime. "SINCE WHEN?"

Ichigo sighed heavily, wishing he had a bottle of painkillers at that moment. "Saturday night," he answered.

Mizuiro tilted his head to the side. "After the movie?"

"Y – yeah." Orihime scratched her head nervously, and tried to smile. "We really weren't dating when we went."

"Ah, I see." Mizuiro smiled widely. "I suppose congratulations are in order, though I'm not hugely surprised. But you both seem happy enough, so as your friend, I'm also happy for you."

"Wait, _what_?" Keigo protested, turning on Mizuiro. "How are you not surprised? THESE KIND OF PAIRINGS DO NOT HAPPEN! The scowling punk does not get with the beauty queen!"

"If Asano-san actually bothered to observe, you wouldn't be so shocked," Mizuiro said as he began to text on his phone.

As Keigo tried to argue his case with Mizuiro, Hinamori began walking into the classroom with the other shinigami. She turned to Hitsugaya and asked, "I'm not sure I follow his reasoning. Why is he so upset?"

Rukia stepped in to answer, feeling that Hitsugaya would struggle to answer the question. Besides, she was more experienced with Keigo's nature. She smiled amusedly as she said, "He has this strange understanding of how the world should work and how things are supposed to be ordered. If something disrupts that order, he gets a tad flustered."

Hinamori shook her head in wonder. "What a strange boy."

"To say the least," Tatsuki said in agreement as they passed by her. "Oi, Keigo, calm down," she snapped at him.

"HOW IS IT THAT HE GETS TO DATE INOUE ORIHIME, AND YET I-"

In that moment, a voice lashed out, saying, "_Who's _dating Orihime-chan?"

Everyone left in the hallway froze. The very world seemed to stand still; the air felt heavy. The very atmosphere seemed to blacken as a fearful and stunned silence filled the hallway. The crowd of students parted to reveal Chizuru, standing a few meters away. Her eyes glinted dangerously as she stared down Keigo. "_Who_?"

Keigo's mouth hung open. He glanced at Mizuiro, who also seemed glued to the spot in fear. "Uh… no one?" he said in a futile effort to protect his friend. He swallowed audibly, but tried to remain stoic in the face of Chizuru's wrath. It was a rather brave effort on his part.

Despite Keigo's attempts, Chizuru looked past him, and there, in plain sight, was Ichigo, holding Orihime's hand. With the rage of a thousand armies, the aggressive girl descended upon him.

It was rather ironic: Ichigo had faced countless enemies, each more terrifying than the last. He had fought with them, unflinching in his resolve despite the risk of death. Yet now, this human girl was coming towards him and he could not move or even squeak for the life of him. For the second time that day, Ichigo reflected that an angry Vasto Lorde appearing would not have been the worst thing to happen. In fact, he would have rather faced any of his enemies, past or present. Kenpachi? Bring it on. Byakuya? Piece of cake. Grimmjow? A refreshing diversion. Anyone else on the planet but Chizuru.

He wasn't entirely sure what happened next. He was pretty sure Chizuru leapt at him, with Orihime squeaking in either surprise or fear or both. Maybe he closed his eyes; with the amount of terror that had been flooding his mind, he wouldn't have put it past him. Either way, the next thing he knew, the crazed lesbian was on the floor, pinned under Tatsuki's foot. The martial artist slapped her forehead, and said, "Geez, do I have to protect Orihime _and _Ichigo from you?"

Ichigo released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Thanks, Tatsuki."

Orihime glanced down at Chizuru, blinking a few times as if trying to process what just happened. "Ano, are you okay, Chizuru-chan?"

"I can't believe this," Chizuru said with an added growl. "How did _he _of all people win _my _Orihime-chan's heart?"

"By not being a creep, for starters," Tatsuki said.

Orihime's face fell. "Ah, Chizuru-chan. I hope you're not too upset. I really like Kurosaki-kun."

The terror passed, and a new, rather unfamiliar emotion filled Ichigo to replace it. Hearing Orihime's words brought a smug smile to Ichigo's lips. As Chizuru's eyes met his, Ichigo suddenly felt compelled to give Orihime a kiss. He wanted to do something to show Chizuru that she was _his _and it would remain that way. Still smirking, he bent down and pressed a kiss to Orihime's forehead. His girlfriend flushed furiously. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, Chizuru shook in rage on the floor, and Shinji, Ishida, and Sado who remained in the hallway with them all seemed taken aback by his overt display of affection.

"Sure, rub it in, Kurosaki," Chizuru snapped.

"I'm allowed to kiss my girlfriend," Ichigo retorted, knowing full well that saying that would further anger her. When she glowered at him and tried to get up, he gave her a feral smile.

"Ichigo." Sado's voice grabbed his attention, and Ichigo was snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes were wide in surprise as his gaze met Sado's. "Was that necessary?"

"You shouldn't instigate her of all people," Shinji added in a wary tone, his nose still pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

Ichigo shook his head. Sado's gaze had freed him from the consuming conceit that had filled him before. With his mind clear, he suddenly realized how foolish his actions had been. "I…"

Tatsuki quickly pulled Chizuru up. "Oh, knock it off. You'd rub it in too if you were in the same shoes as him." She pushed the protesting girl into the classroom, shooting Ichigo a concerned glance before walking inside.

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, gently placing a hand on his cheek. "What's the matter?"

He looked deep into her eyes, trying to find that reassurance she always seemed able to offer him. When she gave him a small smile, he relaxed. It did not ease his worries, but it made them seem a lot less overwhelming. She wasn't angry with him, and for the moment, that's all that mattered.

"I'm sorry, Inoue," he said. He glanced over at Shinji, and when he noticed his broken nose, added, "Why don't you take Shinji somewhere and fix that? I need a few minutes to clear my head." He gave her a small smile in an attempt to comfort her. Before he could hear her answer, since he was sure she would anyway, he shuffled into the classroom.

He didn't meet the gaze of any of his friends as he walked in. Pushing past his classmates, his eyes slid shut as he sat down at his desk, and he let the world around him fade away as he focused on his thoughts.

Where had that antagonism towards Chizuru come from? Sure, he didn't like the girl, but the last thing he had wanted was to add fuel to the fire. Hadn't he been terrified when she came charging at him? _I'm such a coward, _he thought derisively. _The moment she was unable to do anything, I rubbed it in her face. I'm not that kind of person._

So, what had happened? What caused him to do that? He sorted through the days' earlier events in his mind. He remembered when he backhanded Shinji. Granted, the idiot deserved it in a way, but wouldn't an elbow to the gut or even a glare have done the trick? The sick glee he felt afterwards disturbed him, looking back on it.

"Ichigo, we're starting class."

Ichigo's head snapped up, and he glanced over towards Shinji, who was pointing to Ochi-sensei. She was putting up the day's lesson plan on the board. "Oh, right," Ichigo murmured, and took out his books.

For the first five minutes of class, Ichigo tried to listen to what Ochi was saying. However, it was difficult to take an interest in the general overview of the Meiji Restoration, especially when his mind kept circling back to the incident in the hallway.

He kept turning it over in his head, trying to fit some explanation to it. It wasn't due to stress; he'd been under much more duress before and he didn't usually take it out on (semi) harmless psycho lesbians. He didn't even dislike Chizuru that much, at least as a person.

Hormones? Ichigo frowned slightly. He'd rather gouge his eye out then blame it on something as trivial as hormones.

One lesson turned into the next, but Ichigo barely noticed, so preoccupied by what had happened that morning. He turned the problem over and over in his mind, but it was only in the middle of their literature class that he realized the most probable cause. His inner Hollow.

Instinctively, he reached deeper into his mind, trying to sense his Hollow's presence. "Shirosaki" was quiet, but that didn't mean he wasn't up to something. His Hollow had a way of subtly affecting him, particularly as of late. This was also especially true when it came to Orihime.

_That bastard, _Ichigo seethed, gripping the pencil in his hand tightly. He had no way of proving that it was Shirosaki, but he was already convinced it was the one responsible. Anger boiled up from the pit of his stomach, coupled with guilt and exasperation.

_I'll apologize to Chizuru for my behavior, _he decided, trying to fight the overwhelming rage that was building up in him by focusing his thoughts on other matters. _I'll tell her – I'll tell her something. Bad weekend, bad mood, self-confidence issues… whatever it takes. _

No matter how he tried, it was becoming increasingly difficult to harness his anger. _Where is this even coming from? _he thought as he tried to calm himself down. _I'm pissed at the Hollow, but this is-_

He heard a distinct cackle echo from the recesses of his mind, and Ichigo ground his teeth together. _I'll get it for this, I swear. _His hands began to shake, and he had the urge to destroy something, to unleash all this angry energy in him.

His eyes darted up and swept across the room, looking for some excuse or reason to get up and leave. His gaze passed to the left, and rested on the back of Orihime's head. She turned to glance out the window, her expression thoughtful, and her smile a little dreamy.

Instantly, the rage sizzled out. Order and sanity returned to his mind, and Ichigo sighed in again, she was able to calm him without even doing anything.

For the rest of day, Ichigo concentrated on feeling her reiatsu. It was enough to keep the conflicting swirls of emotions at bay, and enabled him to focus on the lessons. He couldn't understand why he had gotten so worked up, or why Orihime was able to quell it with just her presence, but he wasn't going to complain.

When the final bell of the day pealed, Ichigo was more than ready to leave. _What a day from hell that was, _he thought as he gathered his belongings.

He slung his bag over his shoulder, and clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn. Behind him, someone giggled, and he smiled when he recognized the laughter. "Oi, Inoue."

She stepped in front of him, books in her arms. "Tired?" she asked, smiling widely.

"A little." He went to reach for her hand, but realized both her arms were full with books. He was temporarily puzzled by this predicament. However, within moments the proverbial light bulb went off in his head, and he slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. "Want me to walk you home?"

"Well, actually-" Orihime twitched violently. Her lips pursed, her face flushed, her eyes blinked rapidly and the words stumbled out of her mouth, "I – I mean, y – y – yes I want you to, I mean, umm…"

Ichigo frowned, since it was unlike Orihime to be so outwardly nervous. "What is it?"

"I was wondering, um…" Her face turned a shade of red akin to Renji's hair. "If you wanted to, um, stay for a bit? At my house? So maybe we c – c – can do our homework together?"

The question caught him off guard, and Ichigo nearly tripped over the classroom threshold. He tried to mask his mild astonishment as he considered the question. He certainly _wanted _to. There was no reason he could think of that wouldn't allow him to, although he did have one concern. "You think it'd be okay with Toshiro and them?"

"We'll be fine!" Rangiku said from behind, making both teenagers jump in surprise.

"Geez, Matsumoto-san," Ichigo muttered as he turned and glowered at her. "Did you have to sneak up on us?"

"Are you sure, Rangiku-san?" Orihime asked.

She nodded. "Sure. Actually, I have a better idea – how about we go to Urahara's, and you two have the place to yourselves for a bit?"

"O – oh, Rangiku-san!" Orihime's blush returned in full force. "I didn't mean it like that!" she said apologetically.

"No no!" Rangiku waved her hand dismissively. "I insist. You two should have some alone time. Right, taichou?" she said, giving her captain a huge smile.

"Whatever," Hitsugaya muttered. "I don't have a problem with it."

Orihime still looked guilty, her gaze cast. Ichigo gave her shoulder a squeeze. "It's all right, Inoue. If they insist, it's fine." He frowned suddenly, and looked over his shoulder. "And not a word out of you, Shinji," he said, having sensed the Vizard come up from behind.

Shinji rolled his eyes, but waved off Ichigo's warning. "Oh come on, like I'd say anythin' to piss ya off further. I only do one broken nose a day, thanks," he remarked drolly.

The anger from earlier flared, and Ichigo was immensely grateful he had his arm around Orihime. It was the only thing keeping him from beating Shinji into the ground. "And yet you're normally so ready with a snarky comment," Ichigo said instead. He turned his attention back to Orihime. "But to answer your question, I'd like to come over." He paused, and added quietly, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea right now."

Orihime gave him a confused stare, and Ichigo mouthed "Later." Trying to explain what was going on in his head in the middle of the hallway was not a good idea. He wasn't even completely sure _how _to explain it to her; all he knew was his temper was volatile at best and it was safer for everyone if he stayed near Orihime for awhile.

"Oi, Ichigo, Orihime." Shinji strolled up alongside of them. "Just as a heads up, I ain't gonna be here tomorrow. I'll try to be back after school though."

"Where you going?" Ichigo asked.

"Soul Society. Got some business there for a bit."

Orihime glanced over towards Hitsugaya, who trailed behind them. "Aren't you going back tomorrow, too?"

"Just for a little while," Hitsugaya said nonchalantly. "There's a captain's meeting tomorrow. They'll be discussing the new threat concerning the Vasto Lorde, so I need to be there."

"They're talking about it _now_?" Ichigo asked in disbelief. "It's been almost two days!"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "It's been discussed, but this is a _formal _meeting about it. A lot already went on behind closed doors." He then glanced over at Shinji. "I take it that's not why you're going?"

Shinji shrugged, and scratched his head. "It's something ta do with it, but not exactly."

Although it was obvious Shinji was being evasive and trying to avoid giving a direct answer, Hitsugaya didn't pursue further questioning. They pushed open the doors, and the chilly air greeted them with a strong gust. Orihime inched a little closer to Ichigo for warmth, and he smiled kindly as he pulled her closer.

Rukia came up from behind Ichigo and Orihime. Luckily, she was courteous enough to tap them on the shoulders instead of taking Rangiku's ambush-from-behind approach. "Matsumoto said you're going to Orihime's house?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Would you tell my family I'm over at a friend's house?"

Rukia sighed dramatically, but smiled. "So the lying begins. Very well." She turned to leave, but then paused. "You know, Ichigo," she said as she looked back at him, "you're not going to be able to hide this from them forever."

_She just had to bring that up, didn't she? _Ichigo scowled at her, since she knew full well why he hadn't said anything to them. "Yes, but the longer I can hide it and keep her away from my crazy dad, the better."

"Is he that bad?" Orihime asked.

"Kurosaki Isshin is someone you have to experience to understand," Rukia explained with a grin. "But Ichigo is right: you may want to wait to meet him." With that, she waved to them and left in the direction of Ichigo's house.

"Well, have fun, lovebirds," Shinji said as he walked past them. "But not _too_ much fun. Wouldn't want ya to be getting in over yer heads, ya know?"

Ichigo cursed out loud, and was about to lunge at Shinji when Orihime grabbed him and pulled him away. She was precariously balancing her books with one arm, and tugging on Ichigo's sleeve with the other. "It's okay!" she said when Ichigo tried to break free. "Just a joke!"

The elder Vizard was already making tracks towards the warehouse, shouting back, "I owe ya one, Orihime-chan!"

"Gckt." Ichigo glared after Shinji after deciding pursuing him wasn't worth the effort. "What the hell does he think we are?"

Orihime was gently pulling him in the direction of her house. Ichigo let her, recognizing gratefully that she had taken it on herself to act as his "don't- get- irrationally- upset- and- start- fights" conscience. "I think Shinji-kun was just being helpful," Orihime said, flushing furiously at her boldness in directing him. "He likes to tease, too."

"I know," Ichigo said as they made their way to Orihime's apartment, the school disappearing behind them. "Just not in a mood to be teased today."

Orihime didn't say anything for awhile. The silence was a little unnerving for Ichigo, but he didn't try to break it. Orihime's eyes were distant, and she was caught up in her thoughts for the time being. Ichigo let her think, holding her hand gently as they walked the familiar streets. He wondered if she was thinking about what had happened, or if she had begun one of her bizarre fantasies. What would it involve this time? Aliens? Dragons? The Elder Gods who sleep in regions unknown? Ichigo was so caught up in thinking about what Orihime was thinking about that when she finally spoke, his head jerked up in surprise and he realized they were by his apartment.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Hmm?"

She waited a moment, her brow furrowed in frustration. Her lips twitched once or twice, before she took a deep breath and said, "In school… Shirosaki-kun was bothering you, wasn't he? He was why you were acting so oddly."

Ichigo shivered in surprise, not in the least expecting her to predict what his problem was. He didn't deny that Orihime was uncannily good at reading him and understanding what was going on in his head, but this was a little eerie. "How did you know?"

They walked up to the second floor, Orihime keeping quiet until she unlocked her apartment and let them in. She shut the door behind Ichigo, and finally answered, "I'm not sure, exactly. I can just… I sort of felt him."

"Felt him?"

Orihime nodded. "I didn't hear his voice or anything like that. I just…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced down at her books. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped them tightly, and her lips were pursed together, like she was afraid to continue. She forced herself to as she said, "I don't know. It's – I… I just know." Her eyes met his, pleading for his understanding. "I get this feeling in the back of my mind whenever he's more present in yours. It worries me, especially after seeing how you were suffering today."

Ichigo felt his heart break a little upon seeing her look so distraught. He set his bag down next to Orihime's couch, and reached out his hand towards her. She handed her books over, looking slightly baffled as he set hers down next to his. Giving her a smile, he extended his hand again. Orihime blinked, and glanced down at her bare hands. "Um, I don't have anything else, Kurosaki-kun."

"I know," he said, reaching his open hand a little further. "I want your hand."

"Oh." Orihime laughed nervously, and placed her hand in his.

When her palm fit into his, he closed his fingers over her hand and pulled her to him. He was careful as he guided her to him, making sure that she didn't stumble. Their eyes met as he wrapped his arms around her, and bumped his forehead against hers. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being yourself." He threaded his fingers through her hair. "I would have gone berserk in class if you hadn't been there."

He almost laughed at how wide and innocent her eyes were. She put a finger to her lips, and pondered his statement for a few seconds. "But, um, I didn't do anything."

"You didn't have to," he said. "I'm sorry about everything today." He pulled her closer, and rested his cheek on top of her hair. "I'll apologize to Chizuru tomorrow, too."

Her hands came around him, and rested gently on his back. There was another long stretch of silence, the comfortable kind that fills the room with peace. Then, slightly muffled by his school vest, Ichigo could barely discern Orihime's whisper, "I'm worried."

He sighed. "I am too. I don't know what the hell's going on." Everything seemed to be a jumbled, horrifying mess. A battle loomed over their heads, one they weren't sure they were going to win. His Hollow was causing more problems and wreaking havoc on his emotions. He somehow had to draw out that form from the dome and then harness it against a Vasto Lorde in a short amount of time. If it hadn't been for Orihime's comforting presence, Ichigo was sure he'd have lost his mind already.

"But you know, let's not worry about it right now," he said, tilting her head up so she could look at him. "I know there's a lot going on right now, but I don't want it to interfere with us. If we let this whole bond and all the crap that goes with it define us, we're not going to make it."

Ichigo watched the minute changes in her expression, going from surprise to worried and then to determined. He smiled when she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right."

"What should we do?" he asked, looking around her apartment. "Homework?" he suggested hesitantly, scrunching his nose at the thought. "I mean, that's why you invited me up, right?"

Orihime hunched her shoulders, and blushed again as she stared into Ichigo's chest. "Um, not really."

Ichigo gave her a blank stare. "But that's what you said before."

"I – I know," she said, "but, um I kind of just said that." She scratched the back of her head.

Ichigo's smile grew a little wicked as he said, "So you lied."

"F – fibbed! I just fibbed a little!" Orihime protested, her eyes wide in horror. "I…"

He couldn't help himself; he burst out laughing. "Geez, Inoue. You didn't have to lie to get me to come here."

"I know!" She buried her face into his school vest. She muttered something, but Ichigo couldn't make it out.

"What?" he asked, glancing down at her. "I don't understand gibberish."

Her head snapped up, and she playfully frowned at him. "Hey!"

Maybe it was the way her lips were formed into a cute pout, or how adorable she looked, so childishly put off. Hell, maybe he just wanted to. Whatever the reason, before Ichigo was fully aware of what he was doing, his lips were crushed against hers. Orihime squeaked in surprise as they both went stumbling back, eventually falling onto the couch.

The kiss was long and languorous, and filled with emotion as potent as any drug. Ichigo eventually sat up, pulling her up with him. She let out a gasp as his mouth left hers, and he focused his lips and tongue instead on her neck.

"K – kurosaki-kun…"

His hooded eyes lifted up, and met hers. When he saw the surprise and shock reflected in them, his own eyes widened in a similar manner, and he finally realized what it was he was doing. He pulled back, and shook his head, dislodging the haze that had started covering his mind. "Shit. Where the hell has my head gone?"

Orihime brushed his bangs away from his face. "I didn't mind," she said with a firm voice, despite her faint flush. "and it's understandable, considering your state of mind all day."

"Guh." He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "This can't keep up. One day is bad enough."

"We'll figure it out," Orihime said with conviction. "I promise."

Ichigo smiled, despite his worry. "Yeah, we will," he said. _I'm going to understand what that bastard's up to, and put an end to it. I can't be worrying Orihime and everyone else like this. I've done that enough, especially the past couple days._

He glanced up when Orihime didn't say anything, and caught her staring thoughtfully into space. He frowned, and nudged her neck with his nose. "You okay?"

"Huh?" She blinked, and met his gaze. "O – oh! Yes, I'm sorry! I was just thinking."

"Oh."

Her eyes widened, and then her arms began to flail. "Not about that, I swear! I – I was thinking about Shinji-kun, actually."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Shinji?"

"Yeah. I was wondering why he's going to Soul Society again. I just never pictured him doing that."

Ichigo thought back to when Shinji told them about tomorrow's trip, and how he avoided giving them a direct answer. "Yeah, it is weird. I mean, what kind of reason would he have for wanting to go back?"

* * *

If Shinji had his way, Ichigo and Orihime would never find out the answer to their query. Really, it was just one of those things, in his opinion, that they were much better off _not _knowing.

He set off on his hastily planned trip at noon, skipping school altogether in lieu of having to explain his absence to Ichigo and the others. He didn't want to spend another day trying to dodge their questions, and anyway, he didn't want to miss training.

Shinji frowned as he stepped through the senkaimon. _Training… more like preparing Ichigo to initiate a suicidal charge against a Vasto Lorde. What the hell was I thinking? _He shook his head in disbelief. _Hard to argue with him at the time. Still, what part of 'We don't want you to fucking _die' _does he not get?_

He ran a hand over his long face, and muttered something unintelligible into it. _And really, worrying Orihime-chan like that… I oughta kick his-_

Voices drifted down the pathway, pulling Shinji from his thoughts. With a blank stare, he leaned over to look, wondering what division he was in. He caught a glimpse of a few shinigami, the ones making the noise, walking in the opposite direction. Their shihakusho were sleeveless.

_Ninth squad, it seems. _He gazed ahead at the white tower that was at the center of the Seireitei. He stared at it, trying to determine which way the first division was. It had been so long, and he struggled to remember the pattern. He then nodded as he finally able to recall it. _All right. First division's gotta be that way, _he thought, glancing to the northeast.

Making sure the coast was clear, he hopped lithely up onto a rooftop. _Been a damn long time since I've done this here. _He grinned at how nostalgic he was sounding. _Rooftop jumping just isn't as fun when you're not in Soul Society… Eh, whatever. _He rolled his eyes, and took off for the first division before he started sounding like a complete sap.

As he flash-stepped across the rooftops, Shinji's thoughts circled back to Ichigo and Orihime. _What's been up with that kid? _he wondered as he crossed the dividing line between the tenth and eleventh divisions. _Breaking my nose like that, and then freaking out on Chizuru. I mean, I know I tease and she's a pain in the ass, but was it necessary?_

He turned the events of the day before over and over in his mind, trying to reach a satisfying conclusion. He was most troubled by the way Ichigo's reiatsu had fluctuated. Just after the first class began, it had spiked so violently that Shinji had been on the point of dragging Ichigo out of the classroom and (in a kindly fashion) banging his stupid head against a wall. Before he could make a move, however, Ichigo's energy had collapsed, returning to normal. Shinji had kept an eye on him for the rest of the day, but though his energy dipped and soared, it never reached astronomical levels.

_Now, what was _that _about? _It was undeniably the most mind-boggling incident of the day. Why had his reiatsu risen so high, and what made it stop? _More and more questions… I guess I'll ask him in training today._

Shinji came to a halt on a roof when he realized he was in the first division. His eyes became unfocused as he searched the reiatsu in the area, trying to locate Yamamoto's. He knew it would be weak, considering the commander-general was still comatose, but it was the only other way aside from peering into every building.

_There, _he thought when he felt the commander's reiatsu. It was much lower than normal, but it was still strong enough to be detected easily. Shinji adjusted his cap, and with a determined face hopped off the roof and made his way towards the commander's quarters.

He stepped inside, and frowned. _It's pretty damn quiet, _he thought as he glanced around. The hallways were empty, and the lights were dimmed. Shinji's instincts were heightened as he sensed something was amiss. _He was guarded before. Where are they? _

It wasn't until he took a few steps down the main hallway that he realized he had walked into a trap. He heard a strange hissing noise. A purple gas rose up from the ground, and Shinji's eyes widened. _Oh fuck. What the hell is this?_

He whipped his head around, and cursed when he saw more gas behind him. _You gotta be shitting-_

His body went immobile, and he hit the floor, wincing as his head slammed into the ground. _Nerve gas. _Shinji tried desperately to move, but his arms and legs wouldn't respond. He was stuck staring at the far left wall, contemplating his situation and cursing his luck. _Why does it have to be so damn difficult? I'm _trying _to do the right thing._

His already unfortunate situation got much worse when he heard a voice drift up from the other end. "Excellent. It worked. Nemu, go see who the intruder is."

_Kurotsuchi, _Shinji realized, feeling both dread and irritation.

He forced his eyes to look up, and met the stare of Nemu Kurotsuchi, who looked perplexed. "Mayuri-sama, it is one of the Vizards."

"It's Shinji," he corrected through gritted teeth.

"Hirako Shinji?" Mayuri stood next to Nemu. "What an unexpected subject for my test."

"So glad I could help," Shinji remarked sarcastically. "Now why the fuck was I gassed?"

Mayuri knelt down, and prodded at Shinji incessantly. "No response from your arms or legs?"

"Of course not!" Shinji tried to move them again, and groaned in frustration when they still refused to budge. "I'd have kicked yer ass by now if I could move 'em!"

"Vulgarity will get you nowhere," Mayuri said with a small 'tsk' sound. He turned to Nemu. "The gas worked wonders, but it released too slowly. Make adjustments to the gas lines as soon as we're finished here."

Nemu bowed and said, "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

A creeping sense of panic crawled up Shinji's spine. "Finished with what?"

"Examining you. It'd be far easier to do in the lab. Nemu, pick him up and we'll-"

Before they could begin to move Shinji, and before the poor Vizard could protest, a voice called out, "Please stop."

All three of them glanced in the direction Shinji had come from to find Hitsugaya standing there, arms crossed.

"He's with me," he continued, wisely not entering the hallway right away. "So I'd appreciate it if you don't drag him to your lab, Kurotsuchi-taichou. Also, is there any way I can enter without getting gassed myself?"

"You're clear to walk down here," Mayuri said with a sigh. "The system recognizes certain reiatsu and can discern between those who have clearance to come here and those who don't." He pulled out a needle, and jammed it into Shinji's arm. "Give it a minute and your motor functions will be restored."

"Gee, how kind of ya," Shinji drawled. He strained to see Hitsugaya better, and said, "I owe ya."

Hitsugaya shook his head. "It's nothing. I was looking for both of you, so this is somewhat convenient, despite the circumstances." He glanced at the needle Mayuri pulled out of Shinji's arm as he walked over to them.

Shinji followed his gaze, and then realized what Hitsugaya meant. "Oh, right. That incident on Saturday morning."

Mayuri raised an eyebrow. "Incident?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya said. He recounted what happened in the restaurant with Ichigo and the strange man with the needle, describing it in the same manner he'd give an official report. As was his usual style, he didn't miss one detail, and explained everything as clearly as possible.

When Hitsugaya was finished, Shinji was frowning, despite being relieved to have feeling in his arms and legs again. "Wait. So he got stabbed as a human, right? But there was a needle hole in his shinigami form."

Mayuri's usual bored expression turned intrigued. "Oh? Now that's not very common."

"Neither is getting stabbed the moment you walk into a restaurant," Shinji remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you if you had any idea what the man was trying to draw out of Ichigo," Hitsugaya said to Mayuri. "It couldn't be blood; he didn't have the needle in his arm long enough."

"Certainly wasn't DNA, either," Shinji added. "Coulda just used a hair fer that."

After a moment's consideration, the twelfth division captain snapped his fingers. "Spirit energy," he said. "If the needle was in for a short duration and the resulting wound appeared in his shinigami form, then the man was drawing out spirit energy from Kurosaki. It doesn't take long to get a little sample."

"It's possible with just a needle?" Hitsugaya asked, surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Of course. I invented-" Mayuri stopped in mid-sentence when he realized what must have happened. His expression immediately contorted into anger. "Are you suggesting someone broke into my lab and stole such a thing?"

"Possibly." Shinji got to his feet at last, dusting off his pants. "Dunno. You need to tell us that. If you invented the thing, how many copies of it were there?"

"Only very few," Mayuri said. "They're not the easiest things in the world to make. Nemu!"

His vice-captain nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll go through our inventory."

"I'm holding you responsible if one's gone missing," Mayuri said, clutching his fist in anger. "I won't tolerate laziness! Something like this should not have gone unnoticed!"

Shinji glanced over at Hitsugaya, not willing to stand around and listen to Mayuri yell at Nemu for something that was likely _his _fault. The captain sighed, and nodded in agreement. "Kurotsuchi-taichou, please let me know if you find anything."

Mayuri nodded. "Very well. I can't say for certain why someone would require Kurosaki's reiatsu. I can assure you, though, it was no one from my lab."

"Thank you." Hitsugaya nodded to Shinji, and they both took their leave. Once they were outside, Hitsugaya asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Kind of pins and needles, but I can move okay."

"I'm sorry you got caught in that," Hitsugaya said. "Kurotsuchi-taichou and the twelfth division have been working on a security system for the Seireitei. Along with improved alarms and sensors, they've set up traps in certain locations. The first location they were testing was the main hallway that leads to Yamamoto-soutaichou's quarters."

"That explains it, then," Shinji muttered. "So basically, they're putting booby traps in spots that are important. I'm betting the fourth division's gonna have one."

"More than likely." Hitsugaya lead them away from the first division. "Why were you going to see Yamamoto-soutaichou, anyway?"

_You don't want to know, kid. _Shinji scratched his head, and shrugged. "I can't go and see 'im? I saved his ass, after all. I got blocked by guards last time, so I tried again."

Shinji wasn't certain whether Hitsugaya believed him or not. His usual neutral expression revealed nothing about the nature of his thoughts. Whatever Hitsugaya believed didn't seem to matter; he didn't press the issue further. "I apologize. Right now is not a good time. The news of the Vasto Lorde has gotten out, so there's heightened security." He paused. "And fear," he said with a low voice. "A lot of fear. Uncertainty, too. What do you do against an enemy that's stronger than your best fighters?"

"Group effort," Shinji said, his face determined. "We're gonna make it."

"Kurosaki-"

"I'm not gonna let him lead a solo suicide charge against it, either. I don't care what the hell I said; it's not gonna happen." What made him change his mind, Shinji wasn't certain. Perhaps it was a feeling of concern for Ichigo, no matter how idiotic the boy might be, or maybe it was a reaction to his feeling that this was somehow his fault. Perhaps it was something even more inexplicable.

Hitsugaya remained quiet, walking slightly ahead of Shinji as his eyes glanced down at the ground. Then, "I hope you succeed, and I hope you're right."

"We survived Aizen." Shinji's gaze turned skywards, recalling that final battle. "I've gotten too far in my life to be stopped now. No one's gonna die on my watch, ya hear?"

Shinji reached into his pocket, and gently touched the item which he had failed to return a second time. _It ain't gonna happen. I'll keep everyone alive, including myself, somehow. _He pulled his hand out his pocket, and inhaled deeply. _I'll protect this thing, too. Can't say fer sure if they're after it again, but if they are, the last place they'd look is in the human world. Maybe it's safer with us then, for the time being. _

"You know," Hitsugaya said with a smirk, "you sounded like Kurosaki a little."

"Ah, shut up," Shinji said, crossing his arms. "Don't compare me to him."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Hitsugaya added. "That kind of attitude is something we all can use more of, but it's better when it's with someone who's a little wiser about it."

"Yer making me sound old," Shinji teased with a grin.

"No. I say that because I trust you. I trust you enough to keep Kurosaki alive. You say you won't let it happen. I'm going to hold you to those words." Hitsugaya walked farther ahead, but his words still carried on the wind. "Don't let him die. I won't be able to bear seeing the look on Inoue-san's face if he does."

That instantly made Shinji think to the day back at the Shouten when Ichigo said he would fight the Vasto Lorde, and the look of pure terror that was in Orihime's eyes. It made his heart wrench, and he winced. _Hit me right where it hurts most. _He sighed, and hurried after him. "Aw, come on. You know I wouldn't let anything happen that makes Orihime-chan cry."

"I know." The captain turned, and gave Shinji a stern look. "That's also why I know you won't let her down. Now, come on. Don't you have training today or something?"

Shinji nodded. "Right, right. Not that we're gettin' far or anything."

"You'll figure it out," Hitsugaya said before flash-stepping away.

"What the hell? When did everyone start puttin' so much faith in me?" Shinji pondered out loud before flash-stepping after him towards the senkaimon. He hated burdens, and responsibilities and anything that took him away from his extensive music collection and the simpler life he had taken up in the past century, but he had also served as the captain of the fifth division for a hundred and fifty years, and he knew in his gut that he could not let Orihime or any of the others down now.

* * *

**A/N:** I abuse Shinji too much. I really do. But I love him to death, which might be a part of the reason why. I'm a sick individual.


	13. Chapter 13

Despite popular belief, I am not, in fact, dead. Sadly, I don't have much of an explanation to offer you for the looong time between chapters, other than busy schedules and laziness on my part. Although I assure you, the former is a lot more responsible than the latter. I'm in a bit of a rush so no shout-outs this chapter, but you know who you are if you reviewed, and I thank you so much for it. Special thanks again to my beta-reader, PL, for looking over this and improving it.

Here's Chapter 13 at last. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_The gathered storm strikes_

Hinamori opened her eyes in the still early hours of the morning, when the sky is barely lighter than black. She laid still on her futon as her mind became instantly alert and began trying to assess what caused the noise. There were no alarms going off on the street, so it hadn't been a burglary, and Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were both deeply asleep on their futons. After a minute of listening, she only picked up the usual noises of the night: traffic outside, the ticking clock, and the deep breathing of her sleeping companions. _Maybe I just imagined it, _she pondered thoughtfully.

On the other hand, you didn't survive for years as a shinigami without knowing when to trust your gut. Something had woken her up, and it had been loud and close. Momo pushed aside her blanket and moved towards the door as silently as she could, trying not to disturb her friends.

_Now, where did it come from? _she wondered as she poked her head into the kitchen. Her eyes scanned the cabinets, the appliances, and the dining table. _Nothing seems amiss here. _It was difficult to say for certain, but nothing seemed out of place or knocked over. She backpedaled into the living room, and glanced down the hallway that led to the bathroom and Orihime's room.

_Could it have come from Inoue-chan's room? _She cautiously stepped down the hall, and listened again. There was only silence, and Momo was about to turn away when a soft sound drifted from Orihime's bedroom. Hinamori took another step, then two, and stood still outside the bedroom door. It took her another moment before she realized what the noise was: it was the distinct sound of someone sobbing.

"Inoue-chan," Momo whispered, softly rapping twice on the door. "Are you all right?"

There was some shuffling coming from inside. She frowned in confusion, and knocked again, this time with a little more force. "Inoue-chan."

"No! Stop… please…" There was more shuffling, and the sound of a blanket hitting the floor. "Love… he's my… no!"

_A dream? _Momo grabbed the door knob. _No, this is a nightmare._ "Inoue-chan, I'm-"

"No!" This was followed by another slam, like a fist pounding against wood.

Momo began to turn the door knob, glancing at Hitsugaya and Matsumoto's sleeping forms before looking back at the door. "I'm coming-"

Before Hinamori could open the door, Orihime, still trapped within whatever nightmare had gripped her mind, screamed. It was long, jagged, terrified, and it went on for far longer than Hinamori could have imagined possible. The sound tore at her heart and without hesitation, she swung open the door and dashed inside.

Orihime was tangled in her blanket and sheets. Her eyes were screwed shut, but there were tears pouring down her cheeks. Her chest was heaving as she tried to scream and draw breath at the same time. Her hand reached out repeatedly, as if she was trying to grab something. Momo jumped onto her bed, and grabbed Orihime's shoulders. "Wake up!" she said. "Inoue-chan, it's me! You're dreaming!"

_What do they usually do to wake me up from my night terrors? _Momo struggled to remember as she continued trying to wake Orihime up, murmuring for her to wake up as she tried to disentangle her from her woolen confines.

Rangiku and Hitsugaya skidded into the room, freshly awoken by Orihime's screaming. Hinamori glanced over them, her eyes begging them to help. "She won't wake up."

Matsumoto pushed Hinamori aside and gently grabbed Orihime's shoulders. Her eyes trained on Orihime, she gently but firmly shook Orihime's shoulders. "Orihime!"

Finally, Orihime's eyes snapped open. Her entire body was shaking as she scrambled backwards, out of Matsumoto's grip, until she was flat against the wall. Her pupils had shrunk to points, and there were deep lines under her eyes. Her usually rosy cheeks were sheet white, and there were faint traces of sweat sliding down her forehead.

"Orihime," Rangiku murmured softly. She reached out a hand towards her, a comforting gesture. "You're okay. It was just a dream."

"I…" The young woman glanced at her shaking hands. Her lips began to tremble before tears spilled out. "Oh God. Kurosaki-kun, he-"

"He's fine," Hitsugaya said, standing a ways back from the women. "I can sense his reiatsu. He's at home sleeping, Inoue-san."

"He… he is?"

"Yes. Close your eyes and you'll be able to feel it," Hitsugaya said.

Rangiku gave her an encouraging nod. Orihime's eyes fluttered shut, and she was still for a few moments. Her hands gripped her nightgown until her knuckles turned white. Breathing out, she nodded. "You're right. He's – he's right at home near R – Rukia-chan." She started to laugh nervously. Her shoulders shook from the laughter, but they began to shake harder when the laughter turned into sobbing.

"Inoue-chan." Momo scooted closer and put her arms around her. "It's all right. It was a bad nightmare."

"It was so real. It felt so real. He was – that Vasto Lorde was there and he was killing him and he wouldn't stop!" Orihime covered her face with her hands, as though the gruesome scene she described was taking place right in front of her. "I begged him to stop but he wouldn't. Kurosaki-kun was just lying there, bleeding and I couldn't heal him and – and-" Her breathing became ragged, and hers chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

"She's hyperventilating." Rangiku rubbed her back, and glanced at Hitsugaya.

He was gone in a blink of an eye, moving considerably fast for being in a gigai. Meanwhile, Hinamori clasped Orihime's face in between her hands. "Hold your breath for a few seconds," she told her in as firm a voice as she could muster.

Orihime tried. She sucked in a deep breath, and held it, but her chest kept heaving, and she was forced to let the breath go. "I – I can't-"

"Here." Hitsugaya was back, with both a brown paper lunch bag and his communicator in tow. "Breathe into this for a bit."

Hinamori took it from him and handed it to Orihime. She accepted it, her expression somehow grateful through the terror. She opened the bag, and exhaled into it. The bag expanded, crinkling open from the air. Then she inhaled, sucking the air back in. The bag deflated. She continued the process for a few minutes, inhaling and exhaling evenly.

Erstwhile, the young captain opened his phone. His face was set into a concentrated scowl as he rapidly hit a few buttons.

"Who are you calling?" Hinamori asked as she rubbed Orihime's back.

"Kuchiki" was all he said before holding the phone to his ear.

"She might not pick up," Hinamori said as she turned back to Orihime. From the corner of her eye, she caught the time on Orihime's digital alarm clock, and winced. 4:37 A.M. She doubted they would be going back to sleep.

"Kuchiki." Hitsugaya turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, speaking into the phone in muted tones. It seemed she had answered, to Hinamori's surprise.

Orihime set the bag down, and sighed deeply. "Thank you, guys."

"Hey, that's what we're here for." Rangiku gave her a small smile as she ruffled her hair. "We've all had nightmares. It's nothing to worry about."

"It's just…" Orihime's head hung low as she stared at the sheets twisted around her waist. "I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't even realize-"

"Inoue-chan." Hinamori shook her head. "How many times have I woken you guys up because of my nightmares?"

"But-"

"It's no different," Momo continued, cutting off any argument Orihime was attempting to make. "Like Rangiku-san said, we all have them."

At a loss as to what to say, Orihime glanced across the room to the entrance. "Who is Hitsugaya-taichou on the phone with?"

"Kuchiki," Rangiku answered. "Don't know why, though."

"Rukia-chan?" Orihime squeaked in surprise. Her head whipped around towards her nightstand. Her eyes squinted in the dark. "4:39? It's too early!" She stumbled out of bed, almost tripping because of the sheets still wrapped around her. Despite Rangiku's protests, she freed herself and hurried out after Hitsugaya.

Momo and Rangiku exchanged glances, and both sighed simultaneously before getting up and going after her. They followed her into the living room, where she was standing a ways from Hitsugaya, who was still on the phone. She seemed ready to protest, but Hitsugaya's expression left no room for argument.

Suddenly, he handed his communicator to her. "For you."

"Eh?" She blinked, but took the phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

As Orihime nervously tried to reassure Rukia that she was fine, Hitsugaya quietly walked over to the two vice-captains. He glanced over his shoulder, as if to make sure Orihime was thoroughly preoccupied before saying, "Kuchiki is bringing Kurosaki over here before school. I don't know for sure what she has in mind, but she was adamant about it."

"I guess we'll find out in the morning - er, later," Matsumoto said as she watched Orihime talk on the communicator.

Momo thoughtfully rested her chin in the heel of her hand. It was hard to predict Rukia's thinking at times. Whatever she had in mind, it involved Ichigo; that much was obvious. Perhaps Rukia would bring him over and have him reassure Orihime that he was fine and unharmed. But then, couldn't that be done as easily at school?

"Ah, no!" Orihime's protest snapped Hinamori out of her thoughts. Momo frowned in confusion as Orihime began waving her hands. "Please no, Rukia-chan! I don't want to wake him up!"

The three shinigami in the room glanced at each other with bewildered looks. "You don't think she really will, do you?" Momo asked in a deathly quiet whisper. With the way Ichigo had been acting the past two days, it seemed extremely unwise to rouse him from his slumber at such an ungodly hour.

"No no!" Orihime grimaced, agitation clearly lit in her eyes. "I don't want anyone else woken up because of me! I-" She paused, listening to whatever Rukia was saying in defense of her decision. Orihime's eyes saddened as she then said quietly, "Please don't. Kurosaki-kun has been so exhausted the past two days. I want to him to be able to rest."

It felt like her heart was wrenching, and Momo had to squeeze her eyes shut to stop the tears. Her brow furrowed as she tried to ascertain why she felt so sad._ Really, _she thought, _it's nothing to be sad about. Inoue-chan has always looked over Kurosaki-chan like this: worrying about him and taking care of him._ She became buried in her thoughts, so much that she didn't realize Orihime was hanging up the phone, having won the argument. _But that's not a bad thing either. Sometimes it makes you feel better to take care of someone, to want to help them and be by their side. Just like when I was with Aizen-taichou-_

No matter what she did or how much she tried to control her thoughts, they always found a way back to him. She grimaced as she tried to push his image out of her mind. _No! I didn't even have a nightmare and yet- _Those gentle eyes and kind smile assaulted her mind, and she couldn't deny just how much she missed them, even though they belonged to the man that had tried to kill her.

"Hinamori."

Her head snapped up in shock, although internally she was grateful for the distraction. "Eh? Sorry! I got lost in thought," she said, turning to Hitsugaya and smiling apologetically.

She was afraid to meet his scrutinizing gaze, so she kept her eyes shut while still forcibly smiling. If she looked into those icy blue eyes, she'd see the doubt and uncertainty. Hitsugaya knew her too well; he'd know she was lying. In order to change the subject, she added, "So, what now? It seems silly to go back to bed." She glanced up at Orihime, who was also giving her a concerned look. _Please. Inoue-chan, Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-kun… don't ask. I – I don't want to talk about it. Please don't say anything._

"All we can do is just get ready for school," Rangiku said. "Hinamori's right: it's pointless to try and sleep now. Besides," she grinned, lightening the atmosphere in the still dark room, "Orihime-chan and I can make a big breakfast!"

"Absolutely not," Hitsugaya said with his usual frown.

"Hey, why not?" Rangiku said. She threw her captain a pouty look. "Orihime and I are just trying to be friendly," she added, not taking into consideration that she had basically volunteered Orihime for the job without asking her.

Before Hitsugaya could give an honest answer which would either insult Rangiku or Orihime or both, Momo piped up, "I'll help Inoue-chan, if she doesn't mind. Besides, since Inoue-chan and I took our showers last night, I think it'd make more sense." The monotonous chores and the repeated motions of cooking would distract her, and also spare her from another meal that was sure to further ruin her digestive tract.

"I don't mind at all," Orihime said.

"Great, let's start!" Momo said, almost wincing at how forced her cheery tone sounded. She grabbed Orihime's hand and pulled her into the kitchen, leaving Matsumoto and Hitsugaya to debate between themselves who got to shower first.

"Ah, um, I don't even know what to make," Orihime said as she stared at the cabinets.

Momo took a few steps back, and flipped on the light switch for the kitchen. "Well, that's a start," she said as she glanced at the refrigerator. "Since we have a lot of time, we can probably make something decent. Maybe some misou soup and fish?"

"Sure. I think there's some broccoli and string beans in there, too, if you want some vegetables," Orihime added as she pulled out a cutting board.

Momo only nodded in response before yanking open the fridge. She bent down, and began pulling out some of the broccoli and beans, along with the onions and seaweed needed for the misou soup.

_This is good, _she thought to herself as she put the vegetables on the counter. She separated them into two different groups. The broccoli and beans were lumped together to be prepared for cooking, while the onions and seaweed for the misou soup were pushed towards Orihime, who had the cutting board ready. _Nice and distracting. I already feel better, now that I've gotten him out of my mind for a minute. _

She returned to the fridge to pull out the fish, still wrapped from its purchase yesterday. _It's such a struggle not to think about him or what happened. I feel like I always have to be on guard from myself, and it's so tiring. And even when I managed not to, I congratulate myself for not thinking of him and of course that leads me to thinking of him. It's a relentless loop. _The package was in her hands, but her thoughts were elsewhere as she stared blankly into the insides of the refrigerator. _But what's worse is the pain of remembering, of knowing that – _

"Hinamori-san?"

The snap back to reality almost made Momo drop the fish, but she regained her composure and clutched it tightly in her hands. So much for keeping herself distracted. "Ah, sorry! I'm wasting energy!" she said, quickly slamming the fridge shut. She gave Orihime a self-depreciating smile, and shrugged slightly, trying to pass off her spacing out as just careless daydreaming.

Orihime set down the knife she was using to chop the onions, and sighed sadly. "No, I'm the one who's sorry."

"For what?"

Orihime glanced down at the counter. She gripped its edge tightly with her other hand. Hinamori took a step towards her, her eyes wide in worry. "Inoue-chan?"

"I reminded you of him, didn't I?" Orihime asked quietly. When Momo only stared at her in blank shock, she hastily continued, "It's just that – you get that sad, distant look in your eyes whenever you think about him."

"Oh." Momo glanced away uneasily, no longer sure what to say now that she had been caught in her lie.

"I'm so sorry," Orihime repeated. "I didn't mean to…"

Momo worked up the courage to meet her gaze, and she shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault at all. I mean, I'm sure Hitsugaya-kun's already told you about how the oddest things remind me of him." She crossed the distance between them, and gently clasped Orihime's hands in hers. "It was just that I was remembering how much I used to care about him, and how I worried about him when he worked too hard. Just like you care about Kurosaki-chan. He's very lucky for it, you know."

Orihime smiled, and the circles under her eyes seemed a little less pronounced when she did. Hinamori was glad for it. "Thank you, Hinamori-san. I don't mind worrying about him, though."

"I understand entirely," Momo said. "I felt sort of special for caring about Aizen-tai – I mean-" She shook her head stubbornly. "Caring about, um, him. I miss caring and fretting over someone."

Orihime's brow furrowed in confusion. "What about Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Oh please," Momo rolled her eyes at the thought of her (or anyone) taking care of the small captain. "He's perfectly capable of handling himself. It's more like he takes care of me, really. In the rare moments that he does need help, Rangiku-san is usually there to lend a hand. So," she shrugged, "I'm not really needed."

"I wouldn't say that," Orihime said thoughtfully. "Rangiku-san once told me that when Hitsugaya-taichou first became a captain, he used to get really immersed into his work, so much that he forgot to eat. You used to come by and check up on him, didn't you? That's how Rangiku-san first really got to know you, since you were in the tenth division so often."

Momo had forgotten about that. It had been a few years, but now that she was reminded of it, she could distinctly remember yelling at Hitsugaya to eat, and bringing him tea late at night, when he was still up to his shoulders in paperwork. "Yes, I used to. But he doesn't do that anymore."

"Maybe not, but I still think he needs both you and Rangiku-san." She raised her hands, palms up, and held them across from each other to resemble a scale. She lifted up her left hand. "Someone to push him in the right direction when he needs it," Then she lifted up her right hand. "and someone to support him. He goes to you a lot when he's stressed about something, doesn't he?" Orihime smiled sheepishly. "I've heard you two talking a couple nights. From what I've heard, it seems that he still needs you. That's why he wants so much to help you right now."

"He does?" Momo blinked in surprise. "I was under the impression he had been stuck with me. He had objected to my coming here."

"Only because he thought you'd recuperate better in Soul Society. Since Aizen died here, he thought it might bring up bad memories." She suddenly paused, her eyes cast to the side. Hinamori looked at her curiously, wondering what it was that she was hesitating to say. After a minute, Orihime continued slowly, "When he came here and asked me about lodging, he also asked me to help you, if I could. Not directly, but I could tell. Hitsugaya-taichou isn't one to ask for help, so I think that shows just how much he wants to see you feel better."

"He did?" Momo knew just as well as Orihime that Hitsugaya almost never asked for help, especially outside his professional life. Momo glanced down at the floor, chewing over this new fact in her head. She knew that he cared, but she hadn't realized just how much he wanted to help her, how far he was willing to go to see her rid of her psychological burdens. "I had no idea."

"He hides it well," Orihime said. "But he does need you."

Momo looked back up, and nodded to her. Her problems were far from resolved, but she could already feel one little burden lift from her heart as Orihime's words began to sink in. She had someone who needed her; he might not show it, but Momo had enough faith in Orihime's intuition to trust her words.

_Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun, Inoue-chan. Thank you so much._

_

* * *

_

The reporter was speaking about the financial situation in Japan, which was apparently crucial knowledge for the public, but it was unlikely that anyone in the Inoue household was paying attention. Normally, there would have been a debate about what to watch, but no one had the energy to suggest anything or make the effort to actually change the channel. In truth, the TV was only on because there was nothing else to do. Breakfast was finished, and its remains had formed part of four neatly-wrapped lunch boxes. Everyone was clean and dressed in their uniforms. They had an hour or more to wait before Ichigo and Rukia would even arrive, so the TV had seemed like a wonderful form of distraction.

Orihime was resting her head on the arm of the couch, her body curled up into a ball. Her eyes kept drooping and threatened to close, no matter how many times she wrenched them open. Eventually, somewhere during a report about a bank heist in downtown Tokyo, she lost the battle and drifted off to sleep.

She didn't wake until someone started pounding on her door. Orihime twitched as she cracked open her eyes. "Eh?"

"I'll get it," Hitsugaya said. He stood up, and brushed off his pants before crossing the living room. Orihime craned her head around to see who it was when she heard the door open.

"Kuchiki, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya greeted them.

They both nodded at him, but their eyes were trained on Orihime. She met their gazes, but it took a moment for her sleep-clouded to register that they remained standing in the threshold. She blinked, and then, "Oh! Rukia-chan, Kurosaki-kun! Come in!" She pushed herself off the couch, barely landing on her feet before straightening herself. "S – sorry! I'm a little out of it."

"You're tired," Rukia corrected her as they walked in. "How are you feeling otherwise?"

"I'm fine!" Orihime insisted. Her eyes glanced up, and softened when Ichigo frowned worriedly at her. Despite his apparent concern, Orihime couldn't help but feel relieved seeing him there, alive and well. Although it had been a few hours since she had the nightmare, the leftover paranoia and fear had settled in her stomach, refusing to leave. His presence helped to dispel most of it.

By the time she was pulled from her thoughts, Ichigo was already standing behind the couch, his hand on her cheek. He continued to remain silent as his thumb rubbed the dark circles under her left eye.

"I'm fine," she repeated, but with less vigor this time.

"You will be after you get some more sleep." Rukia shifted the weight of her books from one arm to the other. "Stay here today. You're stressed out and worried. Take the day off."

"It'll be all right," Rangiku said before Orihime could protest. "You haven't missed school since you got back from Hueco Mundo, and I'm sure sensei will just think you're on another government mission or something."

"By herself, though?" Momo asked softly.

Rangiku blinked. "People go on solo missions all the time."

"She meant staying home alone," Hitsugaya said with a roll of his eyes. "Since that is what she's actually _doing._"

"She won't be alone," Rukia said with a calm smile. "Ichigo will be here with her all day."

"I will?" Ichigo said, turning around to face her with a surprised expression.

"Yes. She's tired and you're still a ticking time bomb with that temper of yours." She held up a silencing hand before he could interject. "It's not like I don't understand, or at least, I don't hold you entirely responsible. I don't know what that stupid Hollow of yours-"

"How did you know-"

"I think it's fairly obvious," she said with a frown. "Anyway, whatever it's doing, it's making you lash out at everyone except Orihime. It only makes sense that you stay here with her. Besides, what is there to complain about? You get to spend time with her. Alone."

Rangiku smirked, and tried to repress her snicker as she looked away. "That should seal the deal."

"I – I don't mind if you stay," Orihime said to Ichigo. "I mean, only if you w – want of course."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

He considered it for a moment; Orihime could see the debate subtly play out on his features. After long moments of debating, he nodded in assent. "All right. It'd be nice not to bite someone's head off for a day. We still have training later, though."

"You should definitely go," Rukia said. "But get some rest first."

"Yes ma'am," Orihime answered with a playful salute.

"We better get going," Hitsugaya said, "before we're late." He turned towards the couple. "We'll cover for you."

Rangiku chuckled to herself as she headed towards the door. "Good thing Ochi-sensei is so gullible."

"Or just doesn't care," Rukia added. "I'm still not sure which it is."

"Take care you two!" Momo said as she began to walk out with the other shinigami. "And oh, Inoue-chan." She paused in front of the threshold. "Thank you for earlier."

"Huh? Oh!" Orihime shook her head. "It was nothing. I hope it helped a little, that's all."

"I think it did." Momo smiled, and bowed to them. "See you later!"

Orihime caught Hitsugaya's confused stare, and Rangiku and Rukia's waves before Momo closed the door behind them. With the shinigami gone, the apartment was eerily silent. Orihime sighed as she stood up. "I guess since we're staying here today, I should get out of these clothes." Her eyes raked over Ichigo, and she added, "I guess you weren't able to bring a change of clothes?"

"I would if I had known I was going to be skipping," Ichigo muttered. "Damn midget and her controlling-"

"I might have something," Orihime said before Ichigo could fly into a tirade about Rukia and his disdain for her pushing him around (even though it was for his own good). "I might have something of onii-chan's that you could wear."

Ichigo nodded, smiling in relief. "Yeah, that'd be great, if you don't mind."

"Nope. Just give me a minute to get changed and I'll go find some." She strode off to her bedroom, and began rummaging through her drawers. She pulled out an old pink sweater and black sweatpants for herself and tossed them on her bed. Next she sorted through her pajama drawer, having sworn she remembered seeing an old pair of shorts that belonged to Sora some time ago.

_There, _she thought as she caught sight of them from the corner of her drawer. She pulled them out, and held them up for inspection. They were a little worn, and just a plain faded shade of gray, but they had an elastic waist. _This should do._

After she got changed and had put her uniform away, she walked out with the shorts in front of her, on display for Ichigo. "Are these okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah." Ichigo walked over and took them from her, smiling gratefully. "You don't mind me wearing your brother's stuff?"

"Of course not," she said with a tilt of her head. "He wouldn't want them going to waste or left to collect dust in a drawer."

"Okay." He bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be out in a minute," he said before walking into the bathroom.

Orihime smiled widely, touching her forehead gently with her fingers. _I feel a little bad about missing school, _she thought as she made a bee-line for the couch. _Still, spending the day with Kurosaki-kun is like – _Her cheeks turned pink. _Well, I certainly can't complain._

She laid down on the couch, and stretched out her legs and back. She let her head rest against the arm of the couch, the same spot she had it before, and was considering turning on the television when Ichigo walked out, now donning Sora's shorts instead of his uniform pants.

"Thanks, Inoue," he said as he folded his pants over his arm. He walked over and laid them by his books, and took off the heavy sweater covering his uniform shirt. He paused as he glanced down at her, his expression apologetic. "I'm really sorry about this. I had no idea that she was planning this."

"Don't be. I like you being here." Orihime smiled sincerely. "Rukia-chan was kind of right. I don't think there's much room for complaint. I think we can both use the day off."

He walked around the couch, and sat down on the floor. He leaned back against the foot of the couch, the back of his head nestled against Orihime's side. "Get some sleep."

"Yes sir," Orihime said in a mock serious tone. "But what will you do?"

"Just watch some television," he said with a shrug. "I'll be fine. Just sleep."

She nodded, her eyes already beginning to feel heavy. "Mmkay," she murmured. "The remote's…" She reached behind her, and dug it out from beneath the sofa cushion. She handed it to him. "Right here."

Ichigo took it and turned on the television. Orihime settled back into the couch, and yawned widely. She caught Ichigo smiling in amusement from the corner of her eyes, and flushed faintly in embarrassment.

"Damn news," Ichigo muttered as he flipped to a different channel. "It's depressing. Like I want to hear about other people's crap."

The channels flew by, with Ichigo unable to settle on anything in particular. In the midst of his channel surfing, Orihime was once again claimed by sleep.

She dreamed again, but not of death and Vasto Lordes. At first, there were just vague images, fragments twisted and blurred together from her memories. Floating up from the surface of her subconscious were bits of conversations she had with her friends, flashes of memorable images, and an amalgamation of thoughts and feelings, blurred together in an incomprehensible mess.

Once the memory fragments faded, she was left in darkness. There was nothing, and her consciousness slipped into a deeper state of sleep.

Then a clear, sharp image emerged. Standing in the middle of a field, Orihime saw Ichigo in the distance, his back to her. She called out to him, but he didn't answer. Puzzled, she walked up to him until she was within arm's reach. "Kurosaki-kun?"

He turned, but the calm brown eyes she was expecting to see were replaced with black eyes and gold irises. He gave her a feral grin, and said in a voice laced with insanity, "Question for ya, Queen. How long do you think you and the king got left?" His right hand cupped her chin. "Gimme a little more time, and soon I won't have to share with the king anymore."

Orihime had no idea if this was a dream or an actual encounter. Maybe it was something in between. He didn't _look _like the Hollow that Ichigo had described, but that voice was indisputably Shirosaki's. A million questions were begging to be asked, but it was difficult to even form a coherent sentence. Her mind was threatening to freeze up on her, to immobilize her in panic. She was determined not to let that happen, so she swallowed, and asked in a shaky voice, "Share what?"

There was a flash of black behind Shirosaki before everything around her blurred. "Get the hell out!" a familiar voice hollered.

_Tsubaki? _Orihime tried to focus, but everything was spinning. The field was becoming distorted, and Orihime felt like she was flying back. "Wait!" she called out, trying to go back to where she was. Darkness engulfed her, but she was consciously aware of it as she kept being propelled backwards.

Her eyes flew open, wide in shock as her body went rigid. She controlled her breathing, trying to keep it steady and calm. She didn't want to hyperventilate twice in one day. Her eyes glanced over at Ichigo, and she was surprised to find him asleep, his head still nestled against the side of her waist.

_He fell asleep. Is that why…? _Although panic still seized her body, rendering her paralyzed, she slowly began to force her limbs to work. First she wiggled her fingers, then stretched out her ankles. Eventually, she was able to slowly sit up. Despite feeling calmer, a presence, most likely Shirosaki's, weighed heavily in the back of her mind.

His presence was becoming more pronounced in both her and Ichigo's minds. Orihime could not fathom why, but for whatever reason, he was. What did he mean by "how much time they had left?" What was he sharing with Ichigo? Orihime could think of a few answers to the second question. After all, they were obviously sharing the same body, the same mind, their powers…

Were they also sharing her?

There seemed to be no clear answer. So many questions loomed over her, just like Shirosaki's presence. Deep within her, she could feel him trying to reach in, could feel that existence growing steadily. A part of her wanted to wake Ichigo, but she was afraid to. What if something terrible happened as a result? She squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to decide if she should push him away or try to confront him.

Then suddenly, the presence diminished. She blinked, and rubbed her temples to soothe the headache that was left behind as a result. _What the-_

Her hairpins flashed, and out came the Shun Shun Rikka. Orihime looked at them, and then at Ichigo, still asleep. Shun-o flew down and landed on her shoulder. "Orihime-san," she whispered, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Orihime whispered back. "What's going on?"

Hinagiku pointed to Ichigo. "His Hollow, as usual."

"Ah, yeah." Orihime frowned in concern as she thought back to her "dream" with Shirosaki. "I heard him."

"He's getting worse," Lily said worriedly. "I mean, it's not the first time this has happened, but he tried to enter twice in a row. He couldn't do that before."

"Granted, the second attempt wasn't as strong as the first," Shun-o added, "but it's still alarming."

"Why is he able to?" Orihime asked.

"No idea is definite, but ever since you and Ichigo have gotten closer, that Hollow's gotten stronger." Tsubaki crossed his arms, rubbing at his brand with his shoulder. "We still don't know _how _it's doing this, but the closer you get with Ichigo-"

"And the more worried he becomes," Baigon said. "We've noticed that, too. Ichigo's worry about the impending invasion has allowed the Hollow to make his emotions go haywire."

"Really?" Orihime shook her head in disbelief. Ichigo had been so on guard since hearing about the Vasto Lorde. Shouldn't that have made it harder for Shirosaki, not easier? Orihime sighed in frustration. Ichigo had been training so hard and yet this is what happened-

_Wait a minute. _It might have been a stretch, but it was worth asking. "Do you think it's because of what he said?" Orihime said. "About getting that form in control?"

Ayame nodded, and Shun-o said, "That's what we were also thinking. If he's been pushing himself towards achieving that form, his Hollow might be taking advantage of it. Honestly, it could be a lot of things." She shrugged. "It could be all of them. We just don't know. But we do know this much: whatever's going on, that Hollow is going to do something soon."

"_How long do you think you and the king got left?"_ Shirosaki's earlier question suddenly made a little more sense. The countdown was ticking to the time when Shirosaki would implement whatever he was planning, and somehow Orihime and Ichigo would be separated. That seemed to be his plan, anyway.

"Is there anything we can do?" she pleaded with the Rikka.

"Just be alert," Tsubaki said, "and expect anything. Keep Ichigo as calm as possible, and don't let him get worked up about this invasion."

"I'd also talk to the Vizards," Lily suggested. "Have them help Ichigo confront his Hollow and put an end to this. If he argues with them, tell him that he's in no shape to be fighting if his temper's going off at every little thing."

"And he certainly won't be able to control that form if he can't even control his own Hollow," Tsubaki added.

Orihime nodded in determination. Luckily, they had training today, so she would bring it up and hopefully everything would be resolved by tomorrow. "Thank you, guys."

They nodded to her before disappearing in a flash, resuming their hairpin form.

Before Orihime could mull over the conversation she had with her powers, Ichigo stirred. He cracked open his eyes, and yawned. "Oh, wow. I fell asleep." He rubbed a hand over his face. "What time is it?"

Orihime looked over the top of the couch, trying to get a look inside the kitchen. She squinted, but managed to make out the numbers on the microwave. "10:30," she said. "We got about three hours of sleep."

"Not bad." Ichigo stretched out his arms and back, and winced when a distinct crack emitted from his lower back. "Ow."

Orihime reached out, and gently grasped his right arm, which was outstretched in front of her. She squeezed his hand and gave him a forced smile. What she wanted more than anything was a taste of that confidence he always seemed to emit, to feel it flow through him, out his fingertips and into her. She so desperately needed it right now. A tiny part of her chided herself for relying on him again. The rest of her argued that she wasn't relying on him, just drawing on him for support. She gently nuzzled her nose against his upturned palm. That gesture alone helped soothe some of her fraying nerves.

Ichigo's gaze met hers, and held it for long moments. His eyes seemed to be searching hers, searching for the reason behind the forced smile. Orihime resisted the urge to close her eyes and turn away, knowing that would only arouse more suspicion. Instead, she kept her smile steady and her face composed. She planned on talking to him about what happened eventually, preferably during training. Her head was just too confused right now to even try to make sense of what had happened.

Without warning, Ichigo suddenly yanked her off the couch. She yelped in alarm as she flew backwards. She landed in his lap, and his arm caught her behind her back and wrapped up around her shoulder to prevent her from falling into the coffee table. She blinked rapidly, her mind trying to catch up with what just happened. She looked down, and flushed furiously when she realized she was in his lap. "E – eh? Kurosaki-kun?" she squeaked.

"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked calmly, nudging his nose against her hair.

"N – not exactly," she answered. It was a little awkward, granted, but she didn't have the heart to complain. Not when he smiled at her answer, and held her close. "Just surprising."

"Sorry," he said, not looking apologetic at all. "I just – I want to enjoy this time we have, because…"

When he didn't finish his sentence, Orihime frowned. "Because what?"

"I got a bad feeling," he murmured. "Maybe it's just because of the impending fight, I don't know, but I just feel like this peace we have right now is going to shatter right before our eyes."

_I can't let him get too worried, _Orihime thought, remembering Tsubaki's earlier warning. Pushing aside her own fears (maybe she had been able to get some of that confidence from him), she shook her head vigorously, and kept her voice even as she said, "I know it's scary, but even if something does happen, we'll just pick up from where we left off. Peace can be brought back."

Ichigo glanced down at her in surprise, taken aback by her confidence. "Inoue…"

"We'll be okay," she insisted.

Ichigo seemed at a loss as to what to say. He bumped his forehead against hers, and searched her eyes. Finally, he chuckled. "You're starting to sound like me."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He shrugged, but seemed hardly concerned. "I guess we'll find out."

* * *

Rukia wasn't sure why, but with Ichigo and Orihime absent, school just seemed so much more boring. Maybe because she wasn't able to toss annoying notes at Ichigo, or because the classroom was just so much drearier without Orihime's radiating presence. Whatever the reason was, she was having a harder time than usual paying attention to any of today's lessons. She was more content to just stare ahead at nothing, and let her mind drift off. It was certainly easy enough. Her mind was preoccupied with much more pressing matters than whatever Ochi-sensei was babbling about.

Ichigo's deteriorating self-restraint was one such matter. Rukia's closeness to him meant that she was safe from the brunt of his anger, but he had lashed out angrily, and sometimes even violently, at those around her. She wasn't sure what was worse: seeing the others bear the brunt end of his flaring anger, or seeing how much Ichigo suffered for it. He had come home to the past two days exhausted and guilty. His behavior was inexcusable, but this time, Rukia couldn't smack him or yell at him for it. Someone else was behind this, and it hadn't taken Rukia long to figure out who it was.

_Stupid inner Hollow of his, _she thought scathingly as she looked out the window. She was beginning to hate the Hollow, even if it was a part of Ichigo. She couldn't stop it herself. There was no way for her to go into Ichigo's mind and beat the Hollow into submission. She was frustrated and angry and at a loss of what to do. Granted, inner Hollows weren't her expertise, but she just wished there was _something _she could do to help.

The lunch bell pealed. Rukia had been so absorbed in her thoughts that the loud sound had caught her completely off guard. She nearly fell out of her seat in surprise, only barely managing to catch herself by grabbing onto the desk for support.

"You all right?" Renji asked, walking up alongside of her and helping her to her feet.

"Yes. I just was thinking too much and-"

A hand on her shoulder stopped her mid-sentence. Renji frowned in concern, and said, "You're that worried?"

Rukia glanced around, noticing there were still a lot of students milling about. "It's not something to be taken lightly," she said. "Let's talk about it at lunch."

Renji nodded in agreement. Rukia picked up her books, and took a deep breath, trying to settle herself. _I have to keep calm. Surely something can be figured out as to how to handle this. _She allowed herself to draw strength from the memory of Renji's hand on her shoulder as they walked down the corridor. _I don't-_

A note came soaring towards them. Renji took a step back, the note barely missing his nose. The folded piece of paper landed on top of Rukia's books. Both shinigami blinked in unison, and looked ahead to see who tossed it at them. Shinji glanced back at them, giving them a slight nod before walking away with a wave of his hand.

"The hell was that for?" Renji muttered as Rukia began opening the note. "A little warning would have been nice."

Rukia hardly cared about Shinji's note-delivering methods as she read the parchment:

_We'll handle the Hollow tonight. I don't feel like getting another broken nose, so he's not leaving until everything's settled. Don't worry about it. You frown too much when you do._

_Shinji_

"He's confident," Rukia murmured. She handed the note to Renji for him to read. "I suppose he'll need it."

"At least something's being done," Renji said with a shrug. "Gotta give him credit for that."

"What's being done?" Rangiku asked, peering over their shoulders to see.

"Stuff not discussable here," Renji said, hiding the note from Rangiku. "But hopefully Ichigo will be back to normal tomorrow."

"Ooooh. You hear that, taichou?" Rangiku glanced down at her tiny captain, who had been helping Hinamori gather her books. "Looks like he'll be just fine. Shinji and them are experts at this kind of thing, aren't they?"

"I would think so," he said. "But it's good to hear. Everything will resume normally tomorrow and then-"

Everyone's communicators suddenly began to beep. All five of them pulled their phones out, and flipped them open, one by one. Renji let out a long "Eh?" as he stared at the screen. "Am I looking at this right?"

"There's a Hollow," Rukia said quietly as to not be overheard, "but the location… isn't that-"

"That's Inoue-san's apartment complex," Hitsugaya said. He glanced up at Rukia. "Did Kurosaki have his badge with him?"

"I think so," she said.

Rangiku flipped her phone shut. "Then they'll be fine. He wouldn't let anything happen to Orihime, so there's no point in us all rushing off."

Hitsugaya glanced up at the ceiling, and frowned. "Maybe not, except this reiatsu I'm feeling… it's an Arrancar's."

Rukia felt for the reiatsu, automatically assuming the worst and that it was Gin and Tousen's attack force. Her eyes snapped open when she realized she recognized the reiatsu. "Wait, that's…"

* * *

"_Hollow! Hollow!"_

"Damn it," Ichigo muttered under his breath. He rummaged through his things until he pulled out his badge. "I'll be right back, Inoue," he said before pressing the badge to his thigh.

She nodded and watched him walk out the door, his hand already on Zangetsu's handle. She turned back to her lunch, or what was left of it. She scooped up some of her homemade leek and kiwi soup, and was about to take a sip when she heard Ichigo holler in surprise.

Orihime leapt up, her spoon falling to the floor behind her. She wrenched the door open, and looked out. In the distance, she saw Ichigo stand in mid-air, looking up at someone who was walking towards him. Orihime squinted until she could make out black socks, a white hakama, and teal hair.

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo shouted, taking a step back in surprise. "What the – how are you…"

"It's been awhile, Kurosaki." Grimmjow appeared next to Ichigo in a flash, grinning manically as he pulled out his sword. "Surprised to find me alive?"

Ichigo shrugged one shoulder, trying to look dispassionate. His face was tense, but he kept his voice nonchalant. "What does it matter? You're here for another fight?"

"I'm collecting my due." Grimmjow s said, swinging Pantera in a rough arc that landed with the hilt on his shoulder. "You better not have gotten fucking soft on me since I last saw you. I'll kick your ass if you have."

"Oh?" Ichigo snorted as he drew out Zangetsu. "I guess you forgot who was left in a bruised heap the last time we fought."

"You little shit!" Grimmjow snapped. He flew at Ichigo, and gritted his teeth as Pantera and Zangetsu clashed together.

Ichigo leapt back, and shouted, "Bankai!"

As soon as he had transformed into his bankai form, Ichigo flash-stepped the distance between him and Grimmjow, and swung Tensa Zangetsu down with enough force to send Grimmjow sliding backwards.

"Tch." Grimmjow pulled his hand back. "Looks like not too soft, but I'm still gonna make you come at me with everything you got." A Cero charged in his palm, and with a grin, he fired it off.

Ichigo countered this with a Getsuga Tenshou, and the force of the two energies meeting sent out a small shockwave that Orihime felt, even from several yards away.

_This isn't good, _she thought as she watched Ichigo and Grimmjow continue to exchange blows. _If Kurosaki-kun was his usual self, I know he'd be all right but with his temper like it is… _

She didn't know whether to stop them or not. Did she even have a right to? She clutched her hands tightly together as the fight pressed on, with neither man gaining the upper hand. _He hasn't had to bring out his mask yet, but he will eventually and that scares me. What if Shirosaki-kun tries to do something?_

The fighters clashed again, and Orihime shuddered. There were so many ways in which the fight could go wrong: naware by-standers getting caught in the crossfire, Ichigo getting injured and bloodied… Even though she knew the others would come if he got into trouble, and that he was capable of besting Grimmjow, she felt the same nerves she felt when Ichigo and Grimmjow had their third (and what they had thought was their final) encounter in Hueco Mundo. She almost wished Neliel was at her side again, just so she had someone with her, someone who was just as worried.

Suddenly, from inside the apartment, the house phone began to ring. Orihime glanced over her shoulder, and frowned in confusion. _Is it Hitsugaya-taichou calling to know who Kurosaki-kun is fighting? _She turned back to the fight, and then back again towards her house, unable to decide what to do.

On the fifth ring, she hurried inside. She would just make the conversation fast, and then go back to watching the fight. Besides, Ichigo had fought alone plenty of times. He would be okay for a few minutes, hopefully.

"Hello?" she said hurriedly when she picked up the phone.

"_Ah, you are home. Hitsugaya-taichou wasn't kidding._"

"Urahara-san?" Orihime blinked in surprise. She noted the slight strain in his voice, but decided not to question it immediately. "Wh – what's going on?"

"_I apologize if you're worried about Kurosaki-san. I'm afraid his current skirmish with Grimmjow is my fault. I'll explain why later. But right now, I have a guest here who says she knows you and Kurosaki-san." _He sounded incredulous as he continued, "_She's an Arrancar who goes by the name Neliel."_

"Nel-chan?" Well, speaking of the devil… Orihime couldn't fathom why Nel would show up in the human world of all places, unless something so bad or monumental had happened that Nel was compelled to come here. "I do know her. Why is she there?"

She heard some shouting in the background, and recognized one of the raised voices as Nel's. "Can I talk to her?"

There was a pause, and then, "_Very well. Here._"

She waited patiently as she heard Urahara murmur something, possibly explaining to Neliel how to use a phone. She kept glancing out the window, trying to see how Ichigo was faring against Grimmjow. It was difficult to see them, as they kept zipping around and never stayed in one place for long.

"_Owahime?_"

"Nel-chan!" Orihime smiled, relieved to be hearing the little Arrancar's voice. "What's going on?"

"_I had to come here to warn you and Itsygo about Tousen and Ichimaru, but thith stupid jerk wouldn't believe me!" _Orihime could picture her throwing a glare at Urahara, and perhaps even sticking her tongue out. "_I twied telling him we were fwiends, but he didn't believe me until he finally called thome Heetsoogaya person and then he called you."_

"I'm sorry, Nel-chan." Orihime smiled softly, even though Nel couldn't see it. "But we do know about Tousen and Ichimaru and that they'll be attacking at some point-"

"_But that's why I came!" _Nel's voice took on a high-pitched shriek as she continued, "_They're coming thoon! Dondochakka, Pesshe and I thaw them gathering their forces! They're coming today!"_

Even through the overwhelming shock, Orihime could hear surprised yells in the background. Apparently, Nel had left out that minor detail when she first talked to Urahara. "Wh – what?"

"_It's twue! We thaw them and tho we came to warn you guys! I twied telling thupid Uwhawa over here-"_

"Nel-chan," Orihime couldn't stop her voice from shaking. "are you sure?"

"_Yeth! I thwear!" _Nel sniffled. "_Nel wouldn't lie about thomething like this!"_

"Oh God…" Orihime glanced outside, and realized that she had to stop Grimmjow and Ichigo's fight. "Nel-chan, I'm – I'm gonna go tell Kurosaki-kun. Make sure Urahara-san calls and warns everyone, okay?"

"_O – okay…"_

"Just stay in the store and you won't get hurt. I – I gotta go. Be careful!" She hung up the phone, and tossed it carelessly onto the couch as she ran back outside.

Without second thought, she summoned Hinagiku, Baigon and Lily, and aimed them at Ichigo and Grimmjow. As the two were about to collide, Santen Kesshun went up between them. Both fighters were bounced back, and had to skid and slide in order to regain control of their momentum.

Although the fight took place above, Orihime was on the ground, running towards them and waving her arms. "Stop!" she kept shouting. "You have to stop!"

Both men looked down at her, equally as surprised to find her there. She saw Ichigo shout something at Grimmjow before he leapt down. Orihime skidded to a stop when Ichigo landed a few feet away from her. He frowned quizzically at her as he crossed the distance between them. "Inoue, what's-"

"You gotta stop!" she protested breathlessly.

"Look, I'll be fine." Ichigo said. He wasn't bruised or beaten up much, which Orihime was grateful for. However, that was also probably the reason as to why he was so confused about her interfering. He gave her a small smile as he continued, "It's not like-"

"Urahara-san called!" Orihime's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. "Nel-chan was there."

"Nel?" Ichigo's head jerked back, his expression as surprised as hers had been. "Why?"

"She came to warn us! Kurosaki-kun, they're coming. She saw Tousen and Ichimaru gathering their forces to invade. They're coming today!"

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, and he seemed unable to move for a moment. "Wha…?" He shook his head, and whipped around towards Grimmjow. "Oi, Grimmjow! We gotta finish this later! We're-"

Ichigo never finished his sentence. At that moment, the pressure around them dropped, the first sign of an opening Garganta. Orihime, Ichigo and Grimmjow remained frozen in place, tiny against the great black maw that yawned before them. Tousen, Gin, and their gathered Arrancar stepped out of the Garganta. There were many of them, at least twenty or so and not counting their former shinigami commanders. It was hard to see them from so far away, but their movements were troublingly easy and relaxed.

For one dreadful moment, silence hung in the air.

"Oh no," Orihime whispered as her hands covered her mouth. Her body began to shake as the Garganta closed with a dreadful finality. She had counted on some time, just a little more time, but it had slid through their fingers like sand. With roughly two dozen opponents waiting for them, with a rumored Vasto Lorde amongst their ranks, it didn't matter if they were unprepared or were not ready for battle. They were out of time.


	14. Chapter 14

*dodges rotten vegetables* I'M SORRY! I know it's been forever. I don't have a decent excuse, other than laziness and the start of school. Can you ever forgive me? ; ;

So I just took a look at the review count: 211. You people freaking rock my socks, you know that? I would give you all a hug and a plateful of cookies if I could. But instead, all I can offer is my sincere gratitude and awe. Thanks to **Rachel, WestAnimeBrigade, shadowanime1, Hime4life, war90, Lyhime, zodious, FlowerPearl, BleachFanJL, himelove22, MrsMoshae, white moonsun, TeddieSama, casey, JammersFlood, p17oyDONju9n **(with extra thanks to you for pointing out the paragraph break problem. I'll get on that after uploading this chapter), **Demonbloodfeeder, Aline, Revolation, haley, nypsy, and Napris** for the reviews! And thanks to everyone who favorited or alerted this story! I don't give you guys enough love either, so thanks again!

Just as a heads up though, this chapter isn't beta-read. My beta-reader I think got really, really busy because I haven't heard from her in a few weeks (a small part of the reason why this took so long too). I'll reupload this when I get her beta-read version back. I've read over this a few times, but I apologize for any errors I might have missed.

I'll shut up in a sec, I promise. This chapter (and the next one) does have a legitimate warning: it's going to get kind of gruesome and graphic. I don't think it's any super serious, but if you get squeamish very easily, be warned. It's certainly not going to be all sunshine and roses, I can tell you that much.

Shutting up now and letting you read.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_The sleeping beast awakens_

"This is Hitsugaya-taichou!" The young captain had his communicator to his ear as he darted through the streets of Karakura, his shinigami robes flapping behind him as he made his way towards the enemy. "I need all seals lifted on the Karakura team _immediately. _We are under attack! I repeat, I need all seals on myself, Abarai-fukutaichou, Matsumoto-fukutaichou, and Hinamori-fukutaichou lifted immediately!"

"_Your command has been acknowledged. Lifting the seals right now._"

Hitsugaya used a nearby car as a springboard to propel himself up into the air. Behind him, he could sense the three vice-captains and Rukia trailing him. As he soared into the air, he saw from the corner of his eye Ichigo running towards the invasion with Orihime on his back. He frowned at the sight, although he wasn't concerned with Ichigo's method of transporting Orihime. _Is he going to be able to fight? _he wondered as he hurried after them. _An unpredictable temper is going to be a liability, but we need his strength._

"_Hitsugaya-taichou, your seals have been lifted."_

"Thank you," he said. He glanced down his shihakusho, and saw the distinct seal of the tenth division fade away. He glanced behind at the others, and pointed to his chest, signifying they should check their seals. When he received three nods, he sighed in relief and hung up his communicator. _It doesn't matter if we're ready or not. We all have to fight. _

From down below, he spotted Ishida and Sado hot-footing it through the streets, still wearing their school uniforms. Hitsugaya felt a twinge of guilt for having their lives once again disrupted, but like during the Winter War, it wasn't a matter of choice.

They converged just yards away from the Ichimaru and Tousen's front lines. Orihime hopped off of Ichigo's back as Ishida and Sado leapt up alongside of them, spirit bow and giant's arm appearing. The shinigami unsheathed their swords, and turned to face their opponents.

"Ara ara." Ichimaru took a step towards them, his hands hidden beneath his sleeves. "Pretty small force we got here. Kinda disappointin'."

In a flash, the Vizards appeared in front of Hitsugaya's group, their zanpakutou drawn. "Well, wouldn't want to disappoint ya now would we?" Shinji said, grinning from beneath his cap.

Tousen rested his hand on his sword. Though he was blind, his eyes seemed to scrutinize the combatants in front of him. "Yes. This is far more balanced. Justice can be served with honor this way."

"Justice?" Kensei glowered at his former squad member, resting Tachikaze on his left shoulder. "You're here to obliterate a town and kick our asses in revenge for some power-hungry wanna-be with a God complex? And you call that _justice_?"

"Remember who we're dealing with, Kensei," Shinji reminded him. "But if they want justice, let 'em try. 'Bout time they showed the hell up anyway."

Before anyone on the invading side could verbally retaliate, Ichigo took a step forward, and leaned close to Shinji. "Hey, where's the Vasto Lorde?" he whispered.

The elder Vizard shrugged. "Was wonderin' the same thing myself. Maybe he ditched 'em. All the better for us." He turned around, and poked Ichigo in the head. "Vasto Lorde or not, no suicide charges out of ya. I don't give a shit what I said."

"But-"

"Shuddap." Shinji elbowed him in the stomach. "Now listen. Work with Orihime-chan, okay? Good practice for ya both, and with your tendency to get the shit beaten out of ya, you'll need her."

"It'll be okay, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime helped him straighten up after having bended over from the elbow to the gut. "We can do it."

He gave her a grateful smile, and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can. All right." He held Zangetsu out at arm's length, and stared down the enemy. "Let's do this."

"Wait." Renji had Zabimaru drawn and ready, but he seemed perplexed as he looked around. "Where's Urahara?" he asked.

"Lazy ass is probably hanging back," Hiyori muttered. "He'll come if we land in hot water, though."

"If we can't handle two traitors and a bunch of Arrancar, then that's pretty sad." Riza pulled on her Hollow mask, with the other Vizards following suit. "Let's wrap this up quickly."

Tousen gestured to several of the Arrancar with his finger, and wordlessly ordered them to charge. Twenty of the Arrancar attacked, with their commanders hanging back with the few Numero who were not chosen to go. Ichigo nodded to Orihime, and together with the others, they hurled themselves at the approaching Hollows.

Metal clanged against metal as zanpakutou met and ground against each other. Arrows were fired off, breaking apart some of the fighters and giving the Karakura team an advantage in which they pressed. Hitsugaya unleashed Hyourinmaru and flung its long chain at two of the Arrancar, driving them back from the others.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia leapt back, keeping a tight grip on Shirayuki. The blade's long white ribbon fluttered about Rukia's head, but the shinigami paid no attention to it as she drew the blade back, balancing it over her shoulder with both hands. "Next dance, hakuren!" A ripple of ice shot out, knocking a few Arrancar back and helping to further disperse their group.

Hinamori exchanged blows with a tall woman Arrancar as they slowly backed away from the others. The Arrancar was able to knock Momo back when she caught an opening, though the shinigami was quickly up on her feet. The Arrancar pushed back her short pink hair, and smirked condescendingly. "Kinda short for a shinigami."

Momo ignored the comment, and instead drew back her sword and shouted, "Snap, Tobiume!" She swung Tobiume forward, unleashing a fire ball at the pink-haired Arrancar. Her enemy managed to dodge it, still wearing her smirk as she charged a Cero at Momo.

"Eat this!" she screeched as the Cero was fired.

Despite the oncoming attack, Momo remained calmed as she held out her hand and said, "Bakudou number 39: Enkosen!" The kidou spell put up a shield in front of her, blocking the Cero's deadly power. Wasting no time, Momo leapt back, and produced another spell. "Bakudou number four: Hainawa!"

She aimed it at her opponent, entangling her in spirit energy ropes. The Arrancar cursed and spluttered as she tried to break free. "Kidou? You-"

"Snap!" Momo unleashed another fire ball from Tobiume. This time, the Arrancar, still trapped in her bindings, was unable to escape. The fire ball crashed head-on into her. Momo's expression remained calm with only faint lines of determination as she went back after her opponent, who was in the midst of recovering from that last attack.

"Damn," Shinji muttered as he watched Momo fight her opponent. "She wouldn't be a bad candidate for the Kidou Corps." Shrugging it off, he turned around, and glanced at the Arrancar standing before him, swords drawn. "Right. What do we have here?"

One of the Arrancar, a chunkier one with matted black hair, pointed to Shinji's Hollow mask. "How do you have one?"

"Same reason you have a zanpakutou." Shinji drew out his own sword, and let it rest at his side. "Luckily, mine's a hell of a lot cooler than yours."

"How ridiculous!" the fat Arrancar shouted as he slammed his sword against Shinji's.

"Touchy." Shinji craned his head back so he could see Ichimaru and Tousen. "Did Aizen give them hormone injections too or something?" he shouted at them.

As expected, he was met with silence. Rolling his eyes, he was about to look away when he spotted a cloaked figure standing behind Gin. _The hell?_

Suddenly, another Arrancar attacked him from behind. "Opportunity!" the Hollow shouted gleefully.

Shinji turned to block his attack with his sword, but before he could, a figure came between the two, and stopped the attack instead. Shinji blinked, and glanced up at the tall figure in front of him. "Huh. Thanks, Sado."

The tall youth nodded, giving him the thumbs-up before turning on his heel. He pulled his arm back, and shouted, "El Directo!"

The blast was aimed at the opportunistic Arrancar. Because he was such a scrawny creature, the force of the blast knocked him back a great distance. "Opportunity lost!" he cried as he tumbled away.

"Not the sharpest tool in the shed," Shinji commented with a raised brow.

"He's an idiot," the fat Arrancar agreed, "so don't think that just because he was blown away so easily that you have a chance of winning."

Shinji glanced at the chubby Arrancar before turning to Sado. "Wanna handle this dude?"

Chad nodded, and switched places with Shinji. The Vizard took off after the "opportunistic" Arrancar while Sado faced down the larger Arrancar.

"Hmph. A human?" He sighed in annoyance. "Am I to be thus insulted? Well, fine." He held up his zanpakutou. "I'll just finish you quickly so I can deal with that infernal mask-wearing man. Now," he inhaled, and then shouted, "Stretch, Cangrejo!"

As the Resurrecion's power took over, the fat Arrancar turned into a large, white crab, just as his Resureccion's name implied. The only parts of him that hadn't changed were his torso and head. Even his arms had been replaced with large pincers, as bone white as the rest of him.

Sado took a step back, assessing the situation as he held his right arm in front of him. His enemy stepped towards him, his six legs moving rapidly in sync as he slowly opened one of his deadly pincers. "What do you think, human?" the Arrancar asked, giving him a mocking smile.

Of course, Sado's usual response was silence. The gentle Mexican was hardly one to unnecessarily comment on something or take an enemy's bait.

However, the Arrancar took his silence as impudence. His expression morphed from smugness to rage as he closed the distance between him and Sado with his powerful legs. "Let's see if you can maintain your silence after this!"

Sado hardly had time to bring up his arm to defend himself from the Arrancar's razor sharp pincer. He tried to step back and away from the pincer, but before he could escape, the Arrancar seized his right arm. The pincer squeezed his arm tightly, and Sado grit his teeth as he tried to wrench it free.

"Still silent," the Arrancar murmured. "But by the end of this I'll make you squeal-"

"El Directo!" Sado aimed the blast as much as he could at the pincer that had his arm trapped. The force of the blast was enough to force the pincer open, and Sado was able to pry his arm free.

"Hmph. Not bad, human." The Arrancar glanced curiously at his now damaged pincer, scrunching his nose disdainfully at the residual smoke that was leftover from the blast. "That arm of yours is strong if it can withstand my crushing pincer."

Sado rolled his right shoulder, relieved to find that his arm was still all right after the near-breaking squeeze. He met the Arrancar's gaze and, despite not being able to understand his opponent's need for conversation, said, "It's primarily for defense. That's why."

"So you do speak." The Arrancar smirked as he lowered his head. "But your defense there seems to have some offensive abilities. However, I have no time to dawdle and discover what they are." He opened his pincer again, and let it hang over Chad's head like a guillotine ready to fall. "I'll just crush your entire body and then-"

"Blow it away, Tachikaze!"

Sado instinctively ducked as Tachikaze's air blades swirled around him and his enemy. The Arrancar watched them intently, waiting to see what they would do.

In the blink of an eye, they slashed through his arms, severing his deadly pincers. He roared in pain as his powerful weapons crashed to the ground far below them. Sado managed to leap out of the way in time before the pincer that had been looming over him could crush him.

"Oi, kid!" Kensei's voice rang out from someplace that Sado couldn't determine. "Take him down now!"

Ignoring his question of Kensei's location, Sado immediately complied as he held out his left arm and murmured, "Brazo Izquierda del Diablo." His arm became covered in the distinctive white, red-striped armor that he first saw weeks ago in Hueco Mundo.

He ran straight at the Arrancar, and pulled his fist back as he neared. He skidded to a halt when he was only a few feet away, and extended his fingers out as little discs of spiritual energy began to form on their tips.

"La Muerte."

The power behind the attack was great enough to shatter the Arrancar's hard crab-like body instantly. His eyes only widened as his armor disintegrated all around him. Sado stepped back, and watched silently as his defeated opponent collapsed and fell to the city streets below.

"Not bad." Kensei walked up to Sado, twirling Tachikaze between his fingers. "But there are still a lot left. Let's get to it."

Sado nodded. He craned his head to the left and then to the right, wondering where to go next. He then heard yelling behind him, and found that Rangiku was struggling with two Arrancar who had teamed up on her. He pulled his right arm back, and aimed a blast at the closest Arrancar as he began to run over to aid in the battle.

* * *

Down below in Karakura, right beneath where the numerous battles raged, Keigo shrieked as Sado's opponent crashed just feet away from where he, Tatsuki and Mizuiro where watching.

"Damn it!" Keigo cursed as the Arrancar's body dissolved, "Could he have picked a worse place to land?"

Tatsuki slapped her hand against her forehead. "Why were you standing _right _below where they were battling?"

"That's a rather good question."

The three humans spun around as Urahara and Yoruichi walked up from behind them. "For that matter," the shopkeeper added with a stern glance, "Why are any of you standing here? It's rather dangerous."

At a loss for a decent answer, the three friends glanced back and forth between each other, hoping one of them had some reasonable explanation. Eventually, Tatsuki clenched her fists, and explained, "We know it's stupid, but we couldn't just stay at school while our friends are fighting and in danger."

Yoruichi sighed, though her eyes softened in sympathy. "I understand it's difficult, but there isn't anything you can do."

"But-"

Mizuiro suddenly seemed alarmed. He put his hand on Tatsuki's shoulder to silence her as his gaze became riveted on something behind Urahara and Yoruichi. "B – Behind you…"

"Hm?" Urahara turned around, and then chuckled as Nel, Dondochakka and Pesshe nervously peered around the corner. "Oh, don't worry. They're friendly. In fact, they're only here because they came to warn us about the attack."

Tatsuki bent down until she was eye to eye with Neliel. "That little Arrancar… didn't Ichigo say something about a little Arrancar that helped him in Hueco Mundo?"

This caught Neliel's attention. Her head perked up, and she blinked as she took a few steps towards Tatsuki. "Do yoo know Itsygo?" she asked. Perhaps they were some of his human friends? They seemed to know him, and the girl who was staring at her referred to him in the familiar…

Tatsuki nodded. "Yeah. You're the one who traveled with him, weren't you?"

"Yeah! Nel did!" For a moment, she was excited to meet more of Ichigo's friends, since they seemed to be very nice. She smiled widely, and began walking over towards them.

A blast of spiritual energy from the battle above shook the air, and Nel's eyes widened when she realized just how much danger they were all in. "Yoo shouldn't be here!" she shrieked. "Itsygo's fwiends should go home where ith thafe!"

One of Ichigo's friends, the one that had screamed earlier, glanced up at the sky behind her. "Is that another friendly one?"

Nel followed his stare. Up in the sky, just a few blocks back, was Grimmjow, watching the fight intently. _What is he doing here? _Nel thought. Grimmjow had refused to come with them when they had decided to warn Ichigo about the attack. Instead, he said he had "business to take care of" or something like that.

But what business could Grimmjow possibly-

Then she remembered his deal with Urahara. Information for a fight with Ichigo: those had been the conditions.

She felt a surge of anger as she shrieked, "Gwimmjow!" Without warning, she took off towards Grimmjow, ignoring Dondochakka and Pesshe's protests.

Her short legs were slow, but Nel was determined to get to Grimmjow. As she ran, she kept yelling for him until he finally noticed her.

"Nel?" Even though she was far below him, she could him curse loudly as he leapt down the ground below. She came to a stop, and tried to catch her breath as Grimmjow landed in front of her. "The _fuck _are you-"

"Yoo came to fight Itsygo! That was your business!" Though she might have been small and weak, she wasn't going to let Grimmjow get away with this. Her brow furrowed as she crossed her arms. "Yoo thupid thug! Itsygo's our fwiend!"

"He's _your _friend, not mine," Grimmjow clarified with a snarl.

"There's no point to your fight!" She waved her arms in emphasis. "Yoo had your final clash! Wet it rest!"

Grimmjow's hand lashed out and grabbed the back of her shirt. Despite being brought face to face with him, Nel refused to let her resolve waver as she glared back at him. Calling on the adult that resided deep inside of her, she said in the most authoritative tone she could muster, "Dwop it."

Sometimes she wondered if Grimmjow suspected her, or if at least he questioned her age. She could see the confusion in his eyes, the same kind that was present whenever the adult inside of her broke through. Calmly, she watched as his lips twitched in irritation as he struggled to determine his next move.

A sudden spike in reiatsu pulled them both away from their argument. Nel turned around to see whose reiatsu it was.

"They're fucked," Grimmjow said as his eyes widened.

"What do yoo mean?" Nel asked as she looked between all the fighters up above them. She couldn't tell whose reiatsu it was, but it definitely wasn't human or shinigami. In fact, she was sure it was a Hollow's, though it didn't seem to be that of an Arrancar's. But who else would Gin and Tousen bring-

Nel's mouth dropped as the reiatsu's owner shed his cloak, revealing him for what he was.

A Vasto Lorde.

"Oh no…" Nel whispered in horror.

* * *

Ichigo almost dropped Tensa Zangetsu in surprise. He instinctively stepped in front of Orihime as the Vasto Lorde let his cloak get carried away by the wind.

This was not good. The phrase kept replaying over and over in his mind as his grip on Zangetsu tightened. He hadn't been able to bring out that Hollow form from the dome, and that had been the only plan of attack they had. At least, that had been _his _only plan of attack.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

He could hear the fear in her voice. Despite his own worries, he ignored the terror threatening to rise up inside of him. With great effort, he kept his tone calm as he turned around to assure her. "Don't worry. Just stay behind me, all right?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Hitsugaya quickly strike down his opponent, taking advantage of his lapse in attention. It might have been considered a cheap shot by some, but Ichigo understood completely why Hitsugaya did it anyway: this was _not _the time to be worrying about rules of conduct on the battlefield. Pride and honor were not at stake here.

No, if anything, this was turning out to be a battle for survival.

The Vasto Lorde slowly turned his head towards Ichigo. The substitute shinigami braced himself, and continued to suppress the fear he felt inside.

Since the Vasto Lorde was not an Arrancar, his face was still entirely masked. Just as Hitsugaya had described when he first came to Karakura, the Vasto Lorde's shape was definitely very humanoid. Ichigo couldn't see any other appendages or parts, just arms and legs. Still, there was no mistaking the empty yellow eyes that stared back at him, or the overwhelming reiatsu that threatened to send them all to their knees.

"Ara ara." Ichimaru grinned that infamous fox-like smile of his. "I imagine you all know who this is, dontcha?"

"How nice of you to introduce him," Shinji remarked dryly.

_Leave it to Shinji to be sarcastic in any situation, _Ichigo thought drolly. In this rare case, though, Shinji's words gave him some comfort. He had his friends around him who could fight too. _If they can at least hold off the Arrancar, I can go for the Vasto Lorde._

It was a flimsy plan at best, but it was one Ichigo was willing to work with, since it was far better than not having any plan at all.

His eyes never left the Vasto Lorde's, and for what felt like an eternity, his never left Ichigo's. The young Vizard waited for him to make his move, but the Hollow felt content to just stare at him.

Suddenly, the Lorde's gaze averted to someone behind Ichigo.

Orihime gasped softly, and Ichigo felt a flood of rage as he realized the Vasto Lorde might be considering Orihime as his first target.

His anger flooded him, overtaking his senses until he felt consumed by it. This extreme torrent of emotion was all too familiar, and it was the same thing that he had been battling for the past two days.

_NO! _he screamed at his Hollow. _Not now! _He struggled to calm himself, even as his hands shook in fury and his whole body felt like it was going to explode.

For whatever reason, his Hollow was putting up much more of a fight than usual, even with Orihime standing just behind him. Ichigo tried to sense her reiatsu, knowing her presence was the only thing that would get him to calm down.

"I'll rip your throat out if you touch her," Ichigo snarled at the Vasto Lorde. He wasn't entirely sure _who _was saying it, though: him or his Hollow. He could hear his Hollow in his own voice, and he could imagine that his reiatsu was beginning to become more similar to that of a Hollow's at this point.

The Vasto Lorde disappeared, and Ichigo barely had time to lift his sword as he came charging at him.

Ichigo pushed back as hard as he could, not wanting to be pushed back into Orihime. "Get away!" he yelled, hoping she would understand it was aimed at her.

Instead, she threw up her shield in front of Ichigo and pushed it at the Vasto Lorde. It was enough to knock him back, and Ichigo debated in the few brief seconds he was given whether to attack straight away or get Orihime out of harm's way first.

In an instant, the Vasto Lorde disappeared and reappeared behind Orihime. She screamed as he grabbed her arm. Instinctively, she called back her shield and reformed it in front of her, hoping to push him back again.

Ichigo leapt at him, and swung Zangetsu down as hard as he could. It tore through the Vasto Lorde's arm, forcing him to let go of Orihime. Ichigo quickly slammed his body against the Hollow, sending them both tumbling. It was rather ridiculous, and possibly compromising, but it would get him away from Orihime at the very least.

As he got to his feet, he heard Orihime and the others shout for him. He briefly glanced up to see a few Arrancar step in front of Orihime, blocking her from him. He tried to hurry towards her to fight off the Arrancar, but the Vasto Lorde attacked him, sending a bone-crushing blow to his side.

Ichigo winced as the Hollow's fist connected, and he went tumbling again. Despite the pain in his side, Ichigo wasted no time in getting to his feet again.

To his left, Rukia and several of his friends attempted to break through the Arrancars' defenses in order to help him. It was the same story for the Vizards and the shinigami. Deep down, Ichigo knew that despite their attempts, he would be fighting alone.

Mustering up his shaken resolve, Ichigo swung Zangetsu back and yelled, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The arc of spiritual energy was aimed straight at the Vasto Lorde's head; Ichigo was determined to wrap this fight up as quickly as possible. However, to his horror, the Vasto Lorde simply lifted up his hand and deflected the blast with his open palm.

Before Ichigo could even react, his opponent went streaking towards him. Ichigo raised his sword to block, but the kick the Lorde delivered was too powerful. It broke straight through Ichigo's defense, and for the third time, Ichigo found himself sent flying.

In one swift sonido, the Vasto Lorde was behind Ichigo, and raised his palm. He didn't even let Ichigo land as he fired off a Cero just feet from where Ichigo was.

Realizing what the Lorde planned to do, Ichigo quickly pulled on his Hollow mask. Pooling all of his strength, he swung as hard as he could as the Cero fired. Fortunately, it was barely enough to dissipate the blast.

He landed ungracefully on his feet. He ignored the cracks that were already forming in his mask as he dashed towards the Vasto Lorde. The last thing he had wanted to do was call on his Hollow's power, but he was left with no choice now. He could deal with it later, once this Vasto Lorde was dead.

He unleashed another Getsuga Tenshou at the Vasto Lorde, and noticed that his enemy had a harder time stopping the blast. Wasting no time, Ichigo flash-stepped towards him and jabbed his sword, trying to take advantage of the Lorde's opening.

The Vasto Lorde grabbed onto Zangetsu, stopping Ichigo's jab just inches away from his stomach. Ichigo yelled in frustration as he tried to yank his sword out of the Hollow's grip.

Suddenly, in one swift movement, the Lorde was behind Ichigo. With Zangetsu still in his grasp, he wrenched Ichigo's arm back and with enough force to dislocate Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo tried to suppress a pained yell, but he couldn't stop the scream when the Vasto Lorde proceeded to grab his arm and break it. He felt his wrist snap too, and the break forced him to let go of Zangetsu as the pain seared up and down his arm.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

_I can't fail her. _Despite his injuries, Ichigo steeled himself and kept on struggling. He aimed a kick at the Vasto Lorde's knee. His enemy buckled, and Ichigo was able to pull free. He spun around, and freed Zangetsu from the Lorde's grip with his good hand.

"I am not going to lose," Ichigo said as he panted. The pain was terrible, but he had dealt with worse. He held his injured arm close to his side, and pointed Zangetsu at the Vasto Lorde with the other. "Like hell I'd let you have the chance to hurt Inoue!"

From beneath his mask, he heard the Vasto Lorde growl at him. Like many of the enemies Ichigo faced before him, he was rather frustrated with his persistence and unwillingness to surrender.

In a flash, the Hollow was at his side. Ichigo blocked the Vasto Lorde's next blow, despite using his non-dominant hand. He even managed to land a hit on the Lorde's midriff, and almost grinned in satisfaction when he saw blood fly out.

He skidded back, and prepared to make another charge when the Vasto Lorde lifted up his arm. Ichigo watched closely as nothing happened at first. He shifted his stance, wondering what on earth the Vasto Lorde was trying to do.

Something from his enemy's sleeve glinted in the sunlight. Ichigo squinted, trying to determine what it was he saw. Protruding from his arm was a long, slim blade. It looked more like an oversized needle than any actual sword blade, though Ichigo didn't doubt it was any less deadly.

Still, he preferred a blade over any of the Lorde's kicks and punches. At least he, too, had a blade that could block any swings from that needle blade.

Or so he thought.

Before Ichigo even saw him move, the Vasto Lorde swung his arm. The blade detached and soared through the air. Ichigo lifted Zangetsu and swung back to deflect the oncoming trajectory. To his surprise, the blade was wedged into Zangetsu. "The hell?" Ichigo murmured as he tried to remove the smaller blade from his sword.

His eyes widened when his hand suddenly began to burn. He dropped his sword, which was searing hot to the touch. _The hell did that needle do? _He glanced down at his hand, and almost winced to see the severe burns that covered his palm.

He felt the Vasto Lorde come closer. His head snapped up, and he raised his left arm to block whatever attack was coming.

A new pain tore through his abdomen as another one of the needle blades went through his arm and into his stomach. He bit back another scream as he tried to flash-step away from the Vasto Lorde. Instead, he was met with another needle blade, this time inserted through his left shoulder.

"Damn it!" Ichigo hissed as he tried to elbow his opponent. With his sword gone, he was forced to rely on hand to hand.

He instantly regretted his move as he felt the Lorde grab his elbow and snap it forward in a direction it was not meant to go. The scream Ichigo had been trying to hold back tore out of him as his insides began to feel like they were on fire thanks to the blades that were still stuck in him.

For the first time since he had revealed himself, the Vasto Lorde spoke. "You're finished."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt a third blade tear through him, starting from his other shoulder and coming out from his previously wounded side. What was left of his Hollow mask broke, fully revealing the shock on his face.

_Inoue… _

It was his last thought before his vision went black.

* * *

Nel felt like her blood had run cold as Orihime's scream tore through the air. She watched with wide eyes as the Vasto Lorde let Ichigo fall and crash onto a rooftop. She could even feel Grimmjow stiffen as the bloody scene came to an end.

"Itsy… go..." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she watched Orihime struggle to get to Ichigo, and listened to his friends both on the ground and in the air scream and yell for him. "He – He…"

She couldn't say it out loud. She didn't want to, she didn't even _want _to believe that this could happen. That he could be –

_No! _She shook her head stubbornly. _He'll get up! He'll find a way – he always does. _It was easier to believe that then accept the apparent truth, even though she was trying to lie to herself.

Clamoring from up the street caught her attention. Tatsuki and company were desperately trying to run over towards where Ichigo had landed, but Yoruichi was blocking them. Nel could hear her say over and over again, "You can't help him!"

Urahara was gone. Nel spotted him hurrying up towards the battle, flash-stepping the entire way up. For a brief moment, she held onto the hope that he could make it to where Ichigo was. If he could get Ichigo on his feet, she thought, he would be okay.

Suddenly, as Urahara was about halfway there, an Arrancar flew down and attacked him. Nel cried out in despair as Urahara was forced to fight the tenacious Arrancar, who was doing everything in her power to make sure Kisuke couldn't get past her.

Through her despair, she heard the adult inside of her demand that she do something. Crying would get her nowhere. She had to help.

Nel sniffled, wiping away her tears as she turned towards Grimmjow. "We have to help them. Itsygo will die if we don't! Owahime can heal him if she can get twough the Awancar."

She grabbed the front of his shirt when he said nothing in response to her pleas. "He'll die! If he dies…" Ichigo wasn't his friend. She knew that and, as much as she hated it, knew she had to accept it. However, she had to make him help somehow. For a moment, she struggled to think of something that would spur him to action.

"If … If he dies… IF HE DIES YOO CAN'T FIGHT HIM!" She waved her arms, trying to sound convincing as she realized that his "unfinished business" with Ichigo was the only thing that was going to convince him to help. "Yoo'll spend the west of your days wegwetting that yoo never got to finish your fight!"

Grimmjow wasn't stupid either, and Nel knew this too. However, she could see the resigned determination in his eyes. Though he was well aware that she was only saying that to get him to help Ichigo, there was no arguing with her logic.

"Right." He dropped her on his shoulder. "Hang on."

Nel clutched his shirt tightly as he flash-stepped towards the battlefield.

* * *

Orihime had been in a lot of panic-stricken situations. She had seen Ichigo fall before. She had screamed and cried too. However, she had always been able to reach him. When the fight was over, she could run to his side and heal him.

But these Arrancar surrounding her wouldn't let her pass. Panic and fear were fogging her mind, but she refused to let it cloud her judgment. She _had _to break through somehow. Ichigo needed her.

She threw up Santen Kesshun, and in a rare display of aggressiveness, used it to push through the Arrancar. When one tried to grab her, she spun on her heel and landed a kick to his side.

The Arrancar doubled over, and Orihime quickly began back-pedaling away from the group. _Almost out of their reach… _

She caught a glimpse of bright red. Before she even had time to realize what it was, a Cero was fired at her from one of the Arrancar she had pushed aside. Her eyes closed on instinct as she braced herself for the impact.

A rush of air passed in front of her. Orihime waited, but the Cero never came. Confused, she hesitantly opened one eye, and gawked at the people in front of her.

"Owahime!" Nel was obviously relieved to see her unarmed. "We're here to help!"

"Nel-chan." Orihime glanced up at the little Arrancar's companion. "Grimmjow. You're…"

Grimmjow unsheathed Pantera. "Stop staring and go help Kurosaki. We have a fight to finish, and I'm not letting him get off that easily. I'll hold these guys off."

The Arrancar all drew out their zanpakutou. The five of them chuckled as they stared down Grimmjow. "Look how the mighty have fallen," one particularly tall Arrancar mocked.

Grimmjow snorted in contempt. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing."

"You two." The tall Arrancar, who seemed to be the appointed leader, gestured to two of the Arrancar on his left. "Handle her. The rest of us, take down our former Espada here."

With nods of acknowledgment, the two Arrancar took off after Orihime as the other three attacked Grimmjow.

Orihime threw Santen Kesshun back up, repelling all sword swings that were aimed at her. _I have to fight them. _She hated it, having to fight and do physical harm. _Kurosaki-kun needs me. I have to get through them. There's no choice!_

Biting her lip, she took a step back, and shouted, "Zanten Kisshun!"

Tsubaki flew away from her hairpin, and flew towards one of the Arrancar.

_Keep your will strong, keep it strong. I – I _want _to hurt him._

She winced as Tsubaki sliced through his target's side, sending the Arrancar to his knees.

"Good job, Owahime!"

With her shield still in front of her, Orihime spared a glance over at Nel, who was giving her the thumbs up. She offered the little Arrancar a small, shaky smile in return.

An Arrancar flash-stepped towards Nel and Grimmjow. Orihime's eyes widened as she yelled at Nel in warning, "Watch out!"

With rather surprising accuracy, Nel spit at the Arrancar coming towards her, and the loogey landed in his eye.

"The hell?" the unfortunate Arrancar screamed as he slapped a hand over his eye. "You little shit-"

Grimmjow swung Pantera out in an arc, cutting down the Arrancar. "Shut your damn trap. I'm the only one allowed to call her that."

He glanced over his shoulder. He smirked, and said to Orihime, "Get down."

Orihime ducked, covering her head with her hands. Her body went tense as she waited for Grimmjow to do whatever it was he was planning. Then the air above her shook as a Cero fired right over her. The heat was strong, and Orihime wondered for a minute if her hair was going to be fried.

Her trivial worry quickly passed as she stood up and turned, only to find the other Arrancar that had been sent after her was down for the count, thanks to the Cero.

She quickly took advantage of her freedom. Dashing towards the building where Ichigo had fallen on top of, Orihime concentrated on keeping in the air and maintaining her reiatsu so she didn't fall.

_I'm almost there. I'm almost there, Kurosaki-kun._

She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she almost didn't see the attack coming from the side.

Luckily, her instinct had been to throw up her shield, and the Vasto Lorde's attack was rejected. Pushing aside the initial panic and fear that was welling up from the sight of the Hollow before her, she took a defensive stance as she kept her eyes glued on him.

"He was rather weak," the Lorde commented as he carefully balanced the needle blade protruding from his arm. "Still, I defeated him. I have no reason to let you revive him."

She clenched her fist in anger, not only for barring her path but for insulting Ichigo so blatantly. "M – Move," she said in a low voice.

Orihime gasped as the needle blade crashed against Santen Kesshun again. Fortunately, the shield held up, though Orihime could feel it begin to weaken.

Then what would she do? She couldn't fight him; she would die within seconds. Tsubaki would do little good, even if she could manage to work up the will to kill him. Her Soten Kesshun was useless here as well.

_What do I do? _she thought as she riveted her gaze on the needle blade. _What can I do? I…_

_I have to save him. I have to do something. But what do I _do_?_

Another strike was aimed at her. This one broke her shield, though the blade was repelled before the shield shattered. Her last line of defense was gone. One strike, and she was most likely dead.

Orihime stepped back, her mind racing to think of some way to escape or protect herself, even when logic said that she was done for.

_Kurosaki-kun, I… I'm sorry. _

"No other tricks?" the Vasto Lorde asked her.

Orihime answered with silence. She prepared herself for the worst.

_I'm so sorry. I want to save you. I want to help you. I just… I can't. _

The Vasto Lorde pulled back his arm, the blade poised to strike. "That's rather disappointing."

She wanted to close her eyes but refused out of pride. She was not going to die with her eyes closed like a coward. Ichigo fought unflinchingly with his eyes open; the least she could do for him was the same.

_Maybe we'll get things right in the next lifetime, _she thought sadly before the Vasto Lorde swung.

* * *

_Kurosaki-kun, I … I'm sorry._

Sprawled out on top of a building, Ichigo stirred ever so slightly. _I – Inoue?_

_I'm so sorry. I want… you. I… help you…_

The thoughts that weren't his own, the ones that sounded so much like Orihime's, floated in and out of his consciousness. Ichigo could only pick up fragments just barely there, but he could hear her.

…_I can't…_

His hand twitched. Though his energy seemed diminished and his strength gone, Ichigo tried to stand back up. _Inoue… Inoue… I need to get up._

Deep down inside, he felt like a part of himself was fading. Strangely, he didn't feel alarmed. He felt at peace as something inside disappeared. It was there, in a sense, but just no longer a part of him.

It also felt strangely familiar. His hand clenched into a fist as a deep darkness consumed his mind and blackened his already darkened vision. _Get up, _he told himself. _Get up._

"_King."_

There was his Hollow, standing prominently within the darkness. This time, however, Ichigo was glad to see him. Together, they could save Orihime. _Yeah, I know._

He didn't think to ask his Hollow what was going on. He could barely think at all. Coherent thought was disappearing as instinct began to take over. As the darkness swirled inside of him, rationality and fear disappeared inside the vortex.

But amidst the raging chaos and deep darkness, Orihime's image never faded from his mind.

_Maybe we'll get it right in the next lifetime._

Ichigo would have shaken his head, if he could. _No, we'll get it right in this one. _I'll _get it right for you._

It was the last rational thought he had before his powers combined with his Hollow's.

* * *

His reiatsu spiked to astronomically high levels, catching the attention of every spiritually aware person in the area.

Ichigo slammed his hands on the ground, and lifted himself up off the rooftop. Immediately sensing Orihime's reiatsu, he turned his head towards where she stood. Beneath the horned mask that covered his entire face, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw the Vasto Lorde's blade poised just above her.

Her eyes met his, and he immediately saw the fear. But the fear wasn't because of him; he could feel it, he _knew. _No, it was the Vasto Lorde that was making her afraid, and he wasn't going to have that.

He threw his head back, and let out an ear-piercing roar.

* * *

**A/N: **I put in shiny paragraph breaks. If they poof, I'm gonna be pissed. Leave a review (no flames though. You send me a flame I'mma kick your butt) and let me know what you think (besides yelling at me for updating so late, though feel free to; I deserve it).


	15. Chapter 15

Can this be? Is it possible? An update after not even three weeks? CAN IT BE TRUE?

WHY YES IT IS 8D I managed to get this chapter written and beta-read in just over two weeks. And right after I left you with such an evil cliffhanger. Aren't I nice?

...Okay, that's debatable, but in all seriousness, the chapter's here and the wait is over. Thanks to **Crystal Dawn **and **Star-chan **for beta-reading this for me. Much appreciated. And thank you shout-outs go to **DAWN94, oceanabyss, morbidly-funny, Racholasj, anthem2521, LivingSilver, pretense, Napris, Iceflame55, Rachel, juti, Blueangel, MrsMoshae, shadowanime1, , Aline, nypsy, ombre nocturne, himelove22, p17oyDONju9n, war90 and narutofan1111. **You people rock. And thanks to all the alerts and favorites I got, too.

All right guys. This chapter gets a _serious legitimate_ **blood and gore **warning. I'm not kidding. This is probably gonna make you squick a bit. So don't yell at me because you've been warned. Though I'm sure I'm going to get some "EWWWW OMGWTF THAT WAS SO NASTY" comments anyway. So without further ado, I give you Chapter 15.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_The darkest part of the universe_

That roar chilled Orihime to the bone. She winced as the feral sound vibrated through the air, causing her to cover her ears and the Vasto Lorde to take a step back in trepidation. She should have moved away from him right there, with his attention diverted elsewhere. She should've moved when he first noticed Ichigo's spiking reiatsu and had caught sight of his new form. This new form had surprised him so much that he stopped mid-swing and thus spared Orihime from a deathblow.

She should move, she knew, but she couldn't force her limbs to work. Fear had her routed in one spot, and no amount of rationalizing would make her frozen limbs cooperate. All she could do was curl her fingers in anticipation.

The Hollow behind her took a step towards her, assumedly recovered from his surprise, and Orihime's eyes widened. She looked up towards Ichigo, still standing on the rooftop in the distance, and murmured, "Kurosaki-kun…"

She didn't even see him move. He was literally on the roof one second, and in the next, he was practically on top of her as he struck the Vasto Lorde with his open palm, knocking him back several yards. Orihime watched as the Vasto Lorde tumbled and skidded, just like Ichigo had only minutes earlier when he was being knocked around.

Suddenly, his shadow was cast over her from his looming form. Wary, though not afraid of him, Orihime craned her head back so she could see him. She couldn't see his eyes behind his mask, but she could feel him staring back.

Though his reiatsu was ridiculously high and his appearance rather intimidating, his presence was soothing. Regaining strength in her limbs, Orihime got to her feet and stood in front of Ichigo. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it when she noticed the blades that were still protruding from him. He looked rather odd, with the needle blades sticking out at random angles. It was morbidly humorous, though Orihime certainly didn't feel like laughing.

"Are you okay?" she murmured, wondering how much pain he was in.

A sharp roar from behind diverted the couple's attention from Ichigo's wounds. They simultaneously snapped their gazes towards the Vasto Lorde. His jaw was clenched in anger as he pointed an accusatory finger at Ichigo. "I can't figure out what that form is or how you're standing, but I guarantee that you will not be so lucky a second time."

Orihime gasped as he began to charge a Cero. Instinctively, she raised her hands to her hairpins, ready to throw up her shield to block the attack.

However, Ichigo had other plans. Just as the Cero fired, he swooped down and grabbed Orihime before flash-stepping out of the way. The Cero rocketed at them, but thanks to Ichigo's speed, they were far out of the way by the time it reached where they had been standing.

Her hands gripped the strong arm around her waist, hanging on for dear life as Ichigo got away from the Vasto Lorde. The back of Orihime's head slammed into Ichigo's chest when he skidded to a halt a fair distance away. Wincing from the contact, Orihime opened her eyes to find the Vasto Lorde charging at them at an incredible speed.

She wasn't sure what made her think it, but her next thought was, _Zangetsu. _She didn't even have time to question _why _she had thought it. In the same moment she thought it, Ichigo's free arm crossed in front of her, and in the distance Orihime could see Tensa Zangetsu soaring towards them.

Orihime winced, waiting for the Vasto Lorde's attack to come. Fortunately, Tensa Zangetsu made it to them in time, and Ichigo swung the moment he had his sword in hand, deflecting the Vasto Lorde's attack. His swing had also been powerful enough to cut through the Hollow's arm, sending blood spraying as the Vasto Lorde was knocked back. Orihime felt a few droplets land on her cheeks, though she was too terrified from the botched attack to make a move to wipe them off.

"Oi, dumbass!"

Orihime's eyes widened as she heard Shinji's voice ring out from across the distance. It was the first time since Ichigo transformed that any of the others had spoken.

"Yer holding Orihime-chan like that and attacking the Vasto Lorde at the same damn time? Are ya _mad_?" Shinji looked down right irritated as he frowned at Ichigo, though his posture was still stiff from shock.

Ishida clamped a hand over Shinji's mouth. "Quiet!" he hissed, his voice shaking slightly. "You do _not _want to draw his attention to us."

Despite Ishida's attempt, Ichigo looked over towards where they were standing. Orihime stiffened, gripping Ichigo's arm tighter in warning. "Don't, please," she murmured as she heard him growl.

One of the Arrancar near Grimmjow cursed out loud, and waved his sword in anger. "Who the hell do you think you are, attacking Lord Ehru like that?" he demanded in a deep voice.

"Ehwu…" Nel glanced over at the Vasto Lorde, who was just getting back on his feet from the last attack. "That's his name?"

The taller Arrancar aimed his sword at Ichigo. "Stay back, my lord! We'll dispatch this boy quickly for you." With a wave of his hand, he signaled to the two Arrancar flanking him and a few others directly behind him to charge at Ichigo.

Ichigo gently set Orihime down on her feet. For a brief moment, when he glanced down at her, Orihime felt a swell of emotions: pain, anger, confusion, and even guilt. As Ichigo turned towards the oncoming Arrancar, Orihime tried to make sense of what she had just felt. She had no reason to be angry. The confusion and even to some extent the guilt was understandable, but not the anger. And what pain? She hadn't even been injured.

No answer seemed plausible, not until she watched Ichigo pull one of the needle blades stuck in him and use it to strike down the tall Arrancar. It wasn't until then, when she felt a dim jolt of pain that it hit her what was happening. Orihime's eyes widened, though not because of the grisly manner in which Ichigo severed the Arrancar's throat, or how he had let him fall without so much as a glance back, but because of the realization that dawned on her.

_Those emotions aren't mine. _She clutched her hand to her chest as she tried to come to grips with this idea. She didn't understand how or why, but she had felt someone else's emotions. Most likely, Ichigo's.

A sharp yell pulled her from her thoughts. Her gaze came back into focus as she watched Ichigo dispatch the last of the Arrancar that had attacked him. Tensa Zangetsu tore through the Hollow's chest like it was butter. Ichigo turned towards the Vasto Lorde as the fifth Arrancar he had struck down fell to the streets below.

She understood the expressions of shock and horror her friends wore. Certainly she felt the same things, though she had already seen what Ichigo could do in this form, and had been more prepared for it than the others.

As she looked across the distance between her and her friends, her eyes met Ishida's gaze. She saw the same thing in him she felt herself: worry and a grim familiarity with what was taking place before them.

More of the Arrancar sped towards Ichigo, swords drawn in retribution for the attack against their respected superior. Something inside Orihime hinted that her friends were in danger, and before she could analyze this brief spark of intuition, she shouted, "Ishida-kun! Everyone, get out of the way!"

Ishida wasted no time in complying with her. He flash-stepped out of the way, and he signaled for the others around him to follow him. Seconds after they did, Ichigo fired a Cero in the direction of the fresh wave of Arrancar running towards him. The Cero wiped them out instantly, and had Ishida and the others still been standing where they were, they would have died as well.

Orihime heaved a sigh in relief, though she was left wondering just how she had known to warn them. Perhaps whatever it was that had made her privy to Ichigo's thoughts and feelings earlier. She knew she should be trying to figure out whatever "it" was, but her attention was constantly diverted to the battle every time she tried to think on it.

With ten Arrancar dead and Ichigo looking no worse for wear, the Vasto Lorde, Ehru, drew out another needle blade. "Very well," he said in disgust, "I'll have to handle you myself."

"Lord Ehru!" the female Arrancar that had blocked Urahara shouted, "The girl! She's his weakness! Did you not see how he protected her?" Before Ehru could respond, she flash-stepped towards Orihime. She grabbed her wrist and held her sword at Orihime's neck. "Not so tough now, are ya you jackass?" she snapped at Ichigo. "Make another move and her throat's slit!"

Ishida winced. "Bad idea."

The Quincy couldn't have been more correct. With astonishing speed, Ichigo pulled out the second blade that the Vasto Lorde had left lodged inside him and hurled it at the female Arrancar holding Orihime hostage. She didn't have time to react as the blade seared straight through her eye and into her brain.

Orihime grimaced as more blood splattered on her, dotting her arms and leaving specks in her hair.

"He's doing a good enough of a job keeping her safe," Riza commented, "but in terms of keeping her clean he's terrible." Despite her attempt at joking, her grip on Haguro Tonbo tightened.

"I don't think he's too concerned about hygiene at the moment," Love commented, his eyes never leaving Ichigo.

Speaking for the first time since Ichigo made his comeback, Hitsugaya quietly asked, "Anyone care to tell me what exactly is going on?" Though his voice was level, Hitsugaya was otherwise outwardly nervous. His free hand kept clenching and unclenching, and he kept staring at Ichigo alongside Love and most everyone else on his side of the battlefield.

Shinji turned towards the small captain, and glanced apologetically at him. "Can we explain later?" he asked with a sigh. "All ya need to know right now is that it's best to stay the hell out of his way or risk injury, according to Ishida."

"You mean to tell me he might attack _us_?" Hitsugaya asked, not able to hide the surprise in his voice.

"As long as we don't get in his way, he shouldn't," Ishida explained calmly. "I've seen him like this before."

Momo quietly walked up next to Hitsugaya. Her grip on Tobiume was tight, though her hand was trembling. "What…is…that? It's like he's a…"

Rangiku shook her head, cutting Momo off. "Worry about that later. What about Orihime?" she asked Ishida. "Will she be okay?"

"She'll be all right. To be honest, Inoue-san is the only one here who's safe." Ishida pushed his glasses back against his face, perhaps in some attempt to appear calm and collected. "He won't hurt her."

Rangiku nodded, her worries placated for now as she watched the Vasto Lorde walk over towards Ichigo, needle blade drawn. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" she murmured.

"That's one way of explainin' it," Shinji said. His eyes narrowed as Ehru got into a defensive stance just yards away from Ichigo. It was obvious his intent was to do battle. "Idiot. He struck down eleven Arrancar in just minutes and he thinks he can win?"

Tousen seemed to be of the same opinion as Shinji, for he said, "Ehru! Let us retreat! There's no telling what else Kurosaki Ichigo can do in this state."

"No!" Ehru made a dismissive gesture with his hand towards Tousen. "I defeated him and he rose back up. I will not allow it!" Finished arguing with Tousen, he lifted his other arm, and another needle blade was produced from it, identical to the one he had on his opposite arm. "I will come at you, Kurosaki, with everything I have. I expect no less from you!"

Seemingly impassive to Ehru's demands, Ichigo ignored him and instead turned towards Orihime. His voice was low at first, but eventually Orihime could hear what he was trying to say: "Shield…"

"My shield?" she asked, pointing to her hairpins.

"Shield… put your shield up." Ichigo raised his palm. Orihime's right hairpin flashed, and her Santen Kesshun was up in front of her.

Orihime blinked rapidly, her finger gently touching the hairpin her Rikka had emerged from. Her eyes darted to Ichigo, then to her shield, and then back at Ichigo. _I didn't summon them. I was about to, but…_

If there was one key difference between this battle and the one on the dome in Hueco Mundo weeks earlier, it was that this battle was turning out to be a lot weirder. Orihime's expression was absolutely baffled as she yet again glanced at her shield. "Um, did you-"

"That won't protect her from me."

Ichigo craned his head around, and growled menacingly at the Vasto Lorde. Orihime stood on her toes and cautiously peered over Ichigo's shoulder, waiting to see what Ehru would do next.

"I shattered her shield the last time," the Hollow said matter-of-factly. "I doubt I would have any difficulty destroying it a second time."

The air shook for a moment as Ichigo spiked his reiatsu. At first, Orihime had thought it was merely as a warning to the Vasto Lorde. Then, as she started tensing in anticipation, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly relaxed. It was a rather paradoxical feeling, perhaps because she _knew _she shouldn't feel relaxed. Her eyes unfocused as a familiar warmth began to spread through her.

_Reihei. _She remembered Ichigo had inadvertently used it on her back in the training grounds the day after Aizen fell. Her mind struggled to make sense of it, but she felt too relaxed and _happy _to really bother. What she did know was that this time around, he was using reihei knowingly.

She couldn't fathom why until she looked up and saw the surprise etched onto the Vasto Lorde's face. With his guard lowered for just a second, he was wide open. Ichigo must have known this and counted on it, because the moment the Hollow's eyes had widened, Ichigo had flash-stepped towards him and attacked.

Orihime gasped as the warmth vanished and she saw blood fly. Ichigo had managed to land a clean slice through Ehru's torso before the Vasto Lorde realized his mistake and got out of the way.

"Very clever," he spat as blood dripped from his wound. "Sending me a clear warning and distracting me all at once. You are a far cry from the boy I battled just earlier."

Ichigo's only response was another strike with his sword. Ehru parried it with one of his blades. Ichigo swung again, and the two went back and forth, exchanging blows and meeting each other's strikes.

Orihime watched with wide eyes as metal clanged and sparks flew. She nervously clasped her hands together as Ichigo narrowly dodged a blow that would have dislocated, if not dismembered his arm. "Kurosaki-kun," she murmured.

At one point, Ehru leapt back and quickly charged a Cero before firing it. Naturally, Ichigo prepared one of his own, lowering his head like a battering ram until Ehru let off his Cero. Then he fired his, unflinching as the Ceros collided and the shockwave fell over him.

His friends and the Arrancar they had been battling cursed in protest from the resulting explosion and the shockwave that followed. The remaining Arrancar got back as far as they could, while Hachi quickly put up a barrier in front of everyone, shielding them from the worst of the shockwave.

Orihime lifted her hands in front of her face, even though her Santen Kesshun provided ample enough protection. She glanced over to her right, and saw Grimmjow bent over slightly, trying to shield Nel and himself from the blast.

"Grimmjow! Nel-chan!" Orihime beckoned at them to come over.

In one swift sonido, Grimmjow was behind her. Nel sighed gratefully as she kept her head level with the Santen Kesshun, relieved to be out of the shockwave's path. "Thanks, Owahime."

"Are you two okay?" she asked.

Nel nodded. "Yeah! We're okay! Though, Itsygo…" Her eyes lifted and watched as Ichigo and Ehru resumed fighting, both of them unaffected by the blast. Her chubby fingers clutched Grimmjow's shirt tightly. "What's happening to him?"

"This must be what that damn clog-wearing creep told me about," Grimmjow muttered as he watched the battle as well. "The form that took down Ulquiorra."

"Don't even think about it!" Nel scolded. "There's no way yoo could win a fight against him! Look at him!" She pointed to Ichigo, just as he effortlessly stepped around Ehru's swing and slashed him from behind before Ehru even knew what had happened. "He's on par with a Vasto Worde! Yoo're still an Adjuchas! An Awancar, but an Adjuchas one!"

Surprised at the exchange, Orihime briefly glanced away from the fight to look at Grimmjow. "You were going to fight Kurosaki-kun like this?"

"Without even knowing what he was getting into!" Nel answered, waving her arms in anger. "Uwahawa promised him a fight with Itsygo at his best in exchange for information about what was going on in Hweco Mundo."

_So, Grimmjow must have been the informant Urahara-san was referring to, the reason he found out about the Vasto Lorde in the first place. _She imagined Grimmjow wanted a fight in order to redeem himself, and while she understood his desire, she also knew that desire would wind up getting him killed. "Please don't, Grimmjow. Not while he's like this."

There was a sharp roar of pain. Orihime's head spun around to find Ichigo sliding back from the Vasto Lorde, a fresh wound in his shoulder. It bled profusely, enough to worry Orihime. "Kurosaki-kun!"

Ehru was preparing to attack again when Ichigo rolled his injured shoulder, and grunted slightly when it began to heal on its own. In seconds, the wound was gone and the lost tissue regenerated.

"Instant regeneration?" Grimmjow said in disbelief. "You're shitting me."

"Yoo are _not _fighting him!" Nel smacked Grimmjow upside the head when he turned to argue with her. "No! Yoo'll die, yoo idiot! I know it was Uwahawa's pwomise, but just tell him yoo changed your mind and did the thpying pwo bono."

"I do _not _do shit pro bono!" he snarled back at her.

"YOO DO NOW!"

Orihime scratched the side of her head as the two butted their heads together. They snarled at each other (well, the one was snarling, the other one was _trying _to) and neither seemed willing to back down.

Their attention was diverted when another Cero was fired, this time aimed at them. Nel shrieked and ducked her head as Grimmjow made a grab for Pantera, ready to dispel the blast if he could.

The Cero was dissipated as Ichigo flash-stepped in front of them and destroyed the enormous blast with one swing of his sword. His eyes glowed and he emitted a dangerous sounding snarl from the back of his throat, not at all pleased with Ehru's choice of target.

"That was cwose," Nel murmured, still clutching Grimmjow's sleeve tightly as her body shook from residual fear.

To her surprise, Ichigo turned his head towards her and Grimmjow. Nel waved shakily back at him, while Grimmjow answered his stare with a scowl. "The hell you staring at you-"

The rest of his words were muffled as Nel clamped her tiny hands over his mouth. She laughed nervously. "Don't mind him, Itsygo. He was just wondering if he had something on his face."

Her fingers gripped his lips tighter as he struggled to speak, his brows furrowing further and further the harder she pulled. "Quiet!" she snapped at him.

A needle blade hurtled towards them, slicing through the air like a smooth sailing ship on water. It was aimed right at Orihime. Although her shield was up, Ichigo took no chances and immediately put himself in front of the blade. It soared straight into his arm, searing through muscle and bone and traveled about five inches out of his arm before stopping.

Orihime gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. She gulped, trying to force them back as she spoke with a shaky voice, "Kurosaki-kun… are you…"

Saying nothing, Ichigo grabbed the blade and yanked it out of his arm. Though the blade was burning the palm of his hand, this time he didn't seem to mind as he flipped the blade until the pointed end was facing away from him and hurled it like a javelin at Ehru.

The Vasto Lorde deflected it with his other blade. "Did you think that would work?"

In an instant, Ichigo's hand, already healed thanks to his regenerative powers, was in Ehru's face. He grabbed his mask, his nails digging into the bone as he picked Ehru up and hurled him at a building.

Ehru stumbled and crashed through the abandoned building, unable to gain his footing as he kept tripping into stray objects and furniture. He tumbled over a dusty couch and through a window. The glass shards nicked him, though he hardly paid mind as he struggled to control his reiatsu and regain his foothold in the air.

Just as he did, Ichigo appeared behind him. Ehru turned and swung his arm, but Ichigo caught him by his wrist. With the same heartless demeanor Ehru had shown him earlier, Ichigo snapped back his wrist until it cracked and broke.

Ehru growled in pain, and jabbed at Ichigo with his other arm. Ichigo simply shifted his head to the side, and the needle blade narrowly missed the side of his face. With Ehru's guard open, Ichigo lifted his foot and, after pulling Ehru towards him, planted his foot into Ehru's back and pushed down as hard as he could. He dug his heel into the small of Ehru's back while pulling back on his arm.

With a sickening snap, Ehru's arm was ripped out of its socket. Ignoring the Hollow's roar, Ichigo tossed the arm aside. He bent down and grabbed the Vasto Lorde by the back of his neck, making sure to dig his nails into the exposed skin.

In a last ditch attempt, Ehru brought his remaining arm around and sliced at Ichigo's midriff. Ichigo grabbed the blade, and with a hard jerk broke it in half, letting the piece he held join Ehru's detached arm.

He flung the Vasto Lorde into the air. When Ehru went airborne, Ichigo took Tensa Zangetsu and swung at Ehru's flailing legs. He cut them both off at the knees, unperturbed at the amount of blood that gushed out and spilled onto his tattered shinigami robes.

The force of the swing had been enough to knock Ehru further into the air, and taking advantage of the opportunity, Ichigo lowered his head once more and charged another Cero. Just as the Vasto Lorde began his descent back to the ground, the Cero was fired. It slammed straight into Ehru, sending him hurtling back and over the rooftop of the building he had gone through earlier.

Taking a moment to take a breather, Ichigo shook some of the blood off his arm before turning towards where the others were. In his current state, he didn't care about their well-being; he was only concerned with one other person's safety. He sensed Orihime's reiatsu, and when he felt that it was as high and stable as it should be, snorted in satisfaction. Traveling this far with her out of sight had made him uneasy.

Deciding break time was over, Ichigo jumped and soared over the top of the building. As he cleared the roof, his eyes scanned the area until he spotted the Vasto Lorde lying on top of a neighbor building. He seemed to be struggling to stand, although it was an exercise in futility, seeing as he had no legs.

Ichigo's patience, what little he ever had to begin with, had run out. His opponent had been stupid enough to not only try to kill him, but harm Orihime as well. That was unacceptable. It was one thing to do battle with him, but to pull the _only _other person he cared about in this state into the fray could only be answered with a painful and drawn out death.

Ichigo landed near where Ehru was. His steps were even as he walked over towards the bleeding, mangled mess that was the Vasto Lorde. He stamped his foot on the base of Ehru's neck, and held Tensa Zangetsu above him, the pointed end in line directly with Ehru's jugular.

Ehru clenched his fist. "You bastard… you were supposed to be an easy victory."

If Ichigo was his normal, slightly chattier self, he might have said, "Think again." Instead, he merely snorted before jabbing Zangetsu into his jugular. Ehru's throat gurgled as blood spurted out and spilled onto the rooftop. Ichigo slashed Zangetsu back and forth across his throat, making sure it was thoroughly severed. He waited until Ehru stopped moving and his reiatsu disappeared, unwilling to make his next move until he was thoroughly and undoubtedly dead.

When the Vasto Lorde didn't move for a full thirty seconds, Ichigo bent down and reached his hand into Ehru's severed throat. He moved his hand around until he felt Ehru's spine. Getting a good grip on it, he held onto it as he lifted Ehru's body up and turned his gaze towards Ichimaru and Tousen. He took a step towards the edge of the roof and flung Ehru at them.

Rukia nearly screamed as Renji pushed her out of the way, just before the flying carcass could hit them. Hiyori and a few of the other Vizards, along with Chad and Rangiku also had to leap back before they were met with a face full of dead Hollow.

Ichimaru and Tousen were barely able to step out of the way in time to avoid being hit. The surviving Arrancar watched in horror as their esteemed Vasto Lorde, who was supposed to have been the _coup de grace __to this entire invasion crashed lifelessly to the ground._

"He got him," Kensei murmured in disbelief.

From across the way, Orihime sighed in relief. Her eyes shifted to her right and grazed over Grimmjow's side. Suddenly, she caught sight of some blood specks along the edge of his jacket. Fearing he might have been injured, she instinctively reached her fingers out towards the blood. "You were hurt?"

Grimmjow carelessly swiped at her hand. "It's not mine," he said.

He hadn't meant it maliciously, or even to harm her. He had only batted her hand away in annoyance. Unfortunately, Ichigo happened to turn his head around right as Grimmjow smacked her hand away. For whatever reason, he took it not as a gesture of annoyance, but as an attack.

The former Espada lifted his eyes, and when they met Ichigo's gaze he realized his error. He only had time to grab Nel and shove her into Orihime's chest before Ichigo crossed the distance separating them and attacked him.

Nel screamed as she and Orihime were knocked back. As Orihime struggled to keep her balance, Nel watched in horror as blood was spilled from Grimmjow, who had failed to dodge a swipe to his chest. "Gwimmjow!" she screeched.

"Kurosaki-kun, no!" Orihime yelled, but Ichigo wasn't listening.

Grimmjow cursed vehemently as he drew out Pantera. His eyes narrowed as he closely watched Ichigo, anticipating his next move. In a flash, Ichigo was behind him, and Grimmjow only barely managed to parry his strike. He met his next couple of swings, waiting for an opening to emerge.

Suddenly, Ichigo disappeared before him, and just as Grimmjow even registered he was gone, he felt a searing pain in his back. He flash-stepped away from Ichigo until there was a fair distance between them. His hand reached around, and he growled when he felt blood.

If he fought Ichigo like this, he would be defeated quickly. Left with little choice, Grimmjow ran his fingers along his blade and said, "Grind, Pantera!"

He transformed into his Resurreccion form and as soon as it was complete, charged at Ichigo, claws swiping. Ichigo deftly stepped around most of his attacks, although one of his blows connected with his mask, sending a small piece flying off.

Unfortunately, it was the most Grimmjow would be able to do to him. Ichigo managed to grab hold of his tail and started yanking back on it. Grimmjow lifted his feet and kicked off of Ichigo's chest. The blow had been enough to knock Ichigo back and force him to release Grimmjow's tail.

The Arrancar gracefully landed on his feet. He twitched his tail once or twice, making sure it was okay before he made his next move. Knowing his options were limited, Grimmjow pulled back his hands, and began charging a Gran Rey Cero. He knew a regular Cero wouldn't cut it.

Just as the energy was finished forming in his hands, Ichigo crossed the space between them in one sonido. He shot his free hand out and with it grabbed the charging Cero. He pushed against it, the force of his hand dissipating the energy.

_Oh fuck no. _Grimmjow's eyes widened as his Cero was destroyed in Ichigo's hand. In an instant, Ichigo swung Zangetsu and the blade tore through Grimmjow, sending him to his knees.

Orihime clamped a hand over her mouth, dreading what was to come next as Nel began to cry. "Gwimmjow! Itsygo, NO!" she screamed, reaching a tiny hand out towards the two.

Ichigo drew his sword back, and as Grimmjow fell and stumbled back, swung it to deliver the final blow.

To his surprise, his sword was met with another's. Shinji stepped in between him and Grimmjow, and deflected the death blow just before it could be delivered. Taking advantage of Ichigo's open guard, he knocked the flat of his palm against Ichigo's chest and pushed him back.

"Orihime-chan!" he called out to her, his voice slightly Hollowified as he spoke with his mask on. "Heal him up! We'll handle Ichigo."

She shook her head. "B – But, he's-"

"We'll be all right." Shinji spun Sakanade in his hand as the other Vizards formed a loose circle around Ichigo, all of them donning their masks. "We might not be in training, but this might be the only chance we'll get."

Though she wanted to protest, Orihime knew that Shinji would refuse to pass up this opportunity. Despite her better judgment, she nodded and ran over towards where Grimmjow was with Nel in tow.

As she hurried over to heal him, Shinji carefully regarded Ichigo. Slowly he began walking towards Ichigo, his grip on Sakanade tight. Suddenly he paused, and threw a glance over towards Ishida. "Ya might wanna get everyone back."

Ishida's brow was furrowed at Shinji, obviously disapproving of his actions. However, like Orihime, he decided not to argue with him and nodded. "Right. Everyone," He looked at his friends, and then at the shinigami. "It's not safe here. Let's move back."

Hitsugaya turned around, and then his body stiffened. "Where are…" His icy blue eyes scanned the area, and when he saw Tousen and Ichimaru escaping through a Garganta, cursed. "Don't you dare run away!" he hollered at them, and reached for his sword.

"There's nothing we can do!" Rangiku stepped in front of him, blocking any charge he would initiate against the traitors. "They'll be gone by the time you get there. Besides, taichou, we have a bigger problem." She nodded towards Ichigo, who was growing increasingly agitated by the minute.

Clenching his fist, Hitsugaya nodded hesitantly as Tousen and Ichimaru, along with the rest of the Arrancar, disappeared into the Garganta. He turned to Ishida and asked, "Are you sure there's nothing we can do?"

"No, trust me. It's best if we all just stand back and stay out of the way." Ishida recalled when he had tried to stop Ichigo, and the price he paid for it. Shaking his head to dispel the memory, he herded everyone with his arms back away from the Vizards and Ichigo.

Once they were a safe distance away, Shinji turned his attention back to Ichigo. Though seemingly unperturbed by his threatening demeanor, Shinji was obviously playing it safe: he stayed far away from Ichigo, unwilling to get too close to him.

"Well well, what do we have here?" He tilted his head to the side and lifted up his mask. His gold and black eyes narrowed curiously at Ichigo. "Of course, that's the big question, isn't it? Yer a Hollow, obviously." With his mask still up, he began circling around Ichigo. "Or something like one. Yer strong, too. But what _are_ ya?"

To Shinji's annoyance, Ichigo didn't answer him, though the Vizard knew he was capable of speech. Instead, the teenager merely stared back at him, possibly GLARING back at him. With his eyes hidden beneath his mask, it was impossible to tell.

"Now there are a couple theories, if you wanna call 'em that. Love over there thinks yer some kind of Jedi..."

"IT WAS A JOKE!" Love said, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. "Come on! You didn't see how he summoned his sword and think 'Just like a Jedi'?"

Shinji rolled his eyes, and blatantly refused to answer his question. "Whatever. Jedi or Hollow, I'm not sure what ya are, exactly. But..." As he began walking behind Ichigo's back, he stopped in his tracks, and smirked widely. "What I do know is yer pissed off."

When Ichigo snarled at him, Shinji couldn't help but chuckle. "At least I'm right about one thing. Now..." He twirled Sakanade and pointed the blade at Ichigo. "I wish this was happenin' in our warehouse instead of outside, but while we're here, might as well see what yer made of. Eh, Ichigo?"

Just as he grinned, Ichigo flash-stepped towards him. Shinji grunted as Sakanade met Zangetsu. He pushed back against Ichigo's blade, but Ichigo in this form proved to be a lot stronger. Despite Shinji's attempts, he found himself being pushed back.

Kensei charged at Ichigo from his left, jabbing the small zanpakutou at Ichigo's side in an attempt to get him to back off of Shinji. Ichigo swung at him, but Kensei easily dodged and aimed a kick at his backside. Surrounded, Ichigo quickly used sonido and got away from the two Vizards.

He reappeared behind Shinji, and began charging a Cero. Hiyori and Riza immediately came at him from behind as the smaller Vizard jumped on his back and grabbed his right horn. She yanked back as the Cero fired, and it harmlessly shot into the sky above them.

Now in a tight corner, Ichigo roared in rage as he flung Hiyori off of his back. He used another sonido to put even more distance between him and his opponents. He began lowering his head, seemingly ready to try to fire another Cero.

Taking the bait, Love ran at him, drawing his sword back as he began to call out its shikai. However, Ichigo brought his sword and aimed a Getsuga Tenshou at him. Love wasn't able to get out of the way in time; he was forced to bring his sword in front of him and bear the blow. As the Tenshou hit, he was sent flying back, pieces of his mask breaking off as he went.

"Love!" Riza called out to him. Instinctively, she began running over towards him when he didn't answer her. Ichigo appeared in front of her, swinging Zangetsu down vertically. Riza held Haguro Tonbo above her. Though it blocked the sword strike, the force behind it was enough to bring her to one knee.

Shinji fired a Cero from the side, breaking the two of them apart. Not waiting until Ichigo had recovered from the blast, Shinji sped towards him and clashed his sword against Ichigo's. "Damn it, Ichigo," he said through gritted teeth. "What the hell are ya? What's goin' on?"

He was only answered with a palm to his chest. Shinji let out an "oof!" as he tumbled back. He quickly regained his footing, knowing better than to let himself keep tumbling around while battling Ichigo like this. He pulled his mask back down, ready to go all out. "Tch, fine. I'll force the damn answer outta ya!"

"Fall!" He pointed his sword's tip to the ground as he held it in the air at his side. "Sakanade!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Orihime had finally made it over to where Grimmjow had unceremoniously landed. She jumped down from her perch in the air and winced as her feet slammed onto the rooftop. The moment she landed, Nel leapt out of her arms and raced over towards Grimmjow. Orihime ran after her, calling out the Soten Kisshun. The healing shield formed over Grimmjow and covered him in its golden glow.

"Gwimmjow!" Nel skidded to a halt beside the shield. She pressed her hands against it as she peered at her fallen comrade. "Gwimmjow!"

He stirred, opening one eye slowly as he reverted back to his regular form. "Nel..."

"Oh thank goodness!" Though she knew Grimmjow hated it, tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. "I was tho worried..."

"Stop crying," Grimmjow muttered. He didn't have the energy to yell at her. "You cry over every damn thing."

"Becauth yoo got hurt!" Nel sniffled, trying to fight back her tears. She didn't look up as Orihime knelt next to her, though she was grateful to the healer. "Yoo always get hurt and Nel always worries!"

Grimmjow remained quiet for a few minutes, his brow furrowed quizzically at the little Arrancar as Orihime continued to heal him. Nel saw him clench his fist once or twice: a sign that he was struggling with something. It wasn't often Grimmjow was at a loss for words, but he seemed to be right now.

"Why?" he finally asked.

Nel blinked rapidly. What did he mean "why?" She wiped away a few stray tears with her hand. "Huh?"

"Dumbass, I asked you why. Why do you always worry?"

Taken aback by his question, Nel scratched the side of her head. "Why wouldn't I? Yoo're my fwiend. Yoo pwotected us, even though yoo didn't have to." She sighed sadly, leaning her head against the side of Soten Kisshun. "What would Dondochakka, Pesshe and I do without yoo?"

Grimmjow's eyes darted away from her. His usual frown was in place, though it was a little softer than normal. "Were you injured?" he asked.

She shook her head.

He nodded before closing his eyes and allowing himself to rest.

Nel gave him a smile, knowing he wouldn't see it. He was always like that, she mused quietly, unwilling to show or be shown affection. He seemed to detest it, and yet he still had this side of him that cared.

She heard Orihime exhale loudly, and turned around to look up at her. Nel's heart squeezed when she saw Orihime's pained expression. In some attempt to comfort her, Nel reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "Owahime..."

"I don't know what to do," Orihime whispered.

"Do?" Nel asked.

"About Kurosaki-kun. I should stop him, but Shinji-kun..." The battle behind them was still raging on, with Ichigo becoming angrier as the Vizards continued to strike at him repeatedly from all sides. Orihime clutched her pants tightly in her hands. "I'm so afraid something bad will happen. He's getting more out of control. I can feel it."

"Yoo should do what yoor gut tells you." Nel didn't understand what was happening or why, but she did believe in Orihime. At the very least, she knew that intuition was there for a reason, and was not meant to be ignored. "It's scary, but yoo need to do what's right."

"But what if what's right and what my gut tells me are different? I just want to help Kurosaki-kun, but at the same time-"

A splash of dark crimson caught her eye. She and Nel turned around in time to see Ichigo run his sword through Rose's shoulder.

* * *

Sakanade's ability hadn't fooled Ichigo for very long. In a darkly comedic way, this form of Ichigo's was smarter than regular Ichigo, Shinji noted. He might have laughed at the realization, had he not also been trying to dodge Ichigo's lightning quick strikes all the while.

Just as Shinji had found an opening, Ichigo darted away from him before he could seize the chance. Not having even seen him move right away, Shinji blinked in surprise as Sakanade tore through empty air.

Rose sensed Ichigo coming at him from his side. He lashed Kinshara in the opposite direction of Ichigo as quickly as he could. The whip managed to land a blow to his collarbone before Ichigo could dodge. In retaliation, Ichigo jabbed Zangetsu behind him, and in turn struck Rose in the shoulder. Before Rose could even react, Ichigo charged towards him and swung again, cutting his back due to Sakanade's ability.

As Ichigo prepared another strike which Shinji suspected would be a death blow, he quickly dispelled Sakanade's ability. He lunged at Ichigo when the young Vizard swung backward, having expected to tear into Rose's back again. Shinji took advantage of Ichigo's momentary confusion and fired a Cero at him.

Ichigo destroyed the blast with Zangetsu, though the force had knocked him back. Shinji gestured for Mashiro to take Rose away from the fighting before going after Ichigo. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hiyori hurry around Ichigo's back, ready to strike from the back if necessary.

"Sorry about throwing ya off back there, but I couldn't have ya killin' Rose." Shinji purposely pointed his sword at Ichigo, hoping it would antagonize him into attacking him instead of going after one of the others. Love and Rose were already out for the count, with Mashiro and Riza attending to them; Shinji wasn't going to risk having more fighters injured. Ichigo was faring well with so many people against him, which came as no surprise to Shinji though he had hoped it would give them a greater advantage.

"I know you can talk." Shinji aimed a frown at Ichigo. "I can't help ya if ya don't tell me what's goin' on. What's happenin' inside yer head?"

Just like before, Ichigo refused to answer (or maybe couldn't, which was something Shinji failed to consider). He widened his battle stance, and simply waited for Shinji to strike.

"Tell me."

More silence. Ichigo rotated Zangetsu in his hand, seemingly growing impatient with Shinji.

"DAMN IT, ICHIGO, WHAT'S GOING ON?" Shinji hollered at the top of his lungs. He didn't know what else to do or say. It seemed impossible to reason with Ichigo like this, but what else could he do? How could he get answers for them when the one who had them wasn't talking?

Ichigo's reiatsu spiked as he unleashed an ear-splitting roar. Shinji covered his ears, ignoring the chills that were going down his spine. He refused to be afraid, even though his instinct told him that he should be.

The very air vibrated as Ichigo's reiatsu climbed. All around him, Shinji could see his friends struggle to stand and not buckle under the pressure. He was struggling as well. He gritted his teeth, and with shaky legs straightened his back. "That's not gonna work!" he yelled at Ichigo. "Throw a temper tantrum all ya want! I ain't givin' up! Hell, if I didn't give a shit I woulda stopped ages ago. I ain't givin' up on ya, whether you goddamn like it or not!"

Even though he had been staring straight at Ichigo, Shinji didn't even see the attack coming. Ichigo had moved so fast, it was a wonder he even had time to register that he had moved at all. All Shinji knew was that one second Ichigo was yards away from him and the next he had Zangetsu shoved into his gut.

Dropping Sakanade, Shinji coughed up blood as Zangetsu was rammed deeper into him. Shinji grabbed the sword, and with all the strength he could summon from his cracking mask pushed back. Surprisingly, he was able to shove Ichigo far back enough to pull Zangetsu out of him.

"Shinji!" Kensei yelled.

Panting heavily, Shinji waved a hand at Kensei dismissively. "Stay back!"

As the last vestiges of his mask disappeared, Shinji quickly scanned the area around him, looking for Sakanade. He kept backing away from Ichigo, though he knew it would do little good. He didn't even have the energy to shunpo. Between the blood loss, the injuries he had sustained during the whole invasion and the enormous pressure of Ichigo's reiatsu weighing on him, he barely had the strength to walk.

Ichigo must have been aware of this, for instead of launching a barrage of sword strikes or the like, he lowered his head and prepared to fire a Cero.

Hiyori leapt an incredible distance, powered by her Hollow powers and desperation. She lifted Kubikiri Orochi above her, and with as much force she could muster, brought it down on Ichigo. As planned, Ichigo was forced to abandon his Cero and instead bring his sword above him to block the blow. As Kubikiri Orochi rammed against Zangetsu, Hiyori flipped over Ichigo and landed in front of him. She quickly spun around and backpedaled, keeping her eyes trained on Ichigo.

"Hiyori..." Shinji coughed up more blood as he murmured her name.

"You idiot," she snapped at him. "I can't believe you took a blow like that." Her words were harsh, but her tone was softer than normal as she pulled up her Hollow mask. She inhaled sharply. "Listen baldy," she said to Ichigo. "You wanna finish him? You gotta get by me first. And I'm a hell of a lot meaner than Shinji."

"Who the hell are ya callin' nice?" Shinji snapped.

"Oh shut the hell up. You're in no position to be talking." Hiyori pulled her mask back down, and gestured at Ichigo. "You wanna keep rampaging, then fine. But you're taking it out on me. Got it?"

Although he was fast, Hiyori was able to see him flying at her. She got into a defensive stance and brought Kubikiri Orochi up to block his swings.

* * *

"Shinji-kun," Orihime quickly got to her feet as she saw Shinji fall and Hiyori come to his defense. "Hiyori-chan…"

Enough was enough. Orihime's hands balled into determined fists. _I have to do something. I can't let this go on anymore. But what should I do? He wouldn't even listen to me earlier, and now Kurosaki-kun is so enraged…_

Suddenly, her hairpins glowed. Her eyes widened as her Shun Shun Rikka came out and flew in front of her. She saw Tsubaki gesture at the Soten Kisshun. With Grimmjow almost completely healed, Shun-o and Ayame seemed fine with dissipating the shield and joining their comrades.

"Wh – What are you doing?" Orihime asked them.

Lily glanced over her shoulder at the heated battle between Ichigo and the Vizards. "We're here to help," she said, "both you and Ichigo."

"Something's gone wrong inside of him," Shun-o explained as she frowned in consternation. "You felt it earlier, that he was getting out of control. There seems to be a balance within him that governs this form. It's been thrown off."

Orihime could only think of one reason that his balance would be off. "Is it Shirosaki-kun?"

"Bingo." Tsubaki jerked a thumb at Ichigo, who was relentlessly striking at Hiyori. "That's more his Hollow acting now. Therefore, we need to act quickly. If this keeps up, everyone's gonna find themselves at the bad end of Zangetsu."

"What do I do?" Orihime asked.

"With his balance off, the method you used last time won't work." Hinagiku rubbed the Hollow mask brand on his chest. "He somehow managed to call up the Santen Kesshun. It felt like it had been your will, but it wasn't until we materialized the shield that we realized it hadn't been you."

"We're sorry about that," Lily said with an apologetic smile. "But then we also realized that if he can use your powers a bit, then maybe we can do the same to him."

"We can?" Orihime blinked. "H – How? And why?"

"We don't know the why," Shun-o said with a sigh. "And the how isn't all that clear either. It has something to do with willpower. So we're thinking if you throw all of your willpower into us and into wanting to stop this form, Ichigo will revert back."

"It's all we have," Baigon added with a shrug.

It was definitely a gamble, but Orihime knew it wasn't a matter of choice. After all, if you gambled big, you won big. Setting aside her doubts, Orihime nodded. "All right. How should I go about it?"

"Similar as to how you call us out. Focus your willpower into us. But instead of willing us to reject, will us into reverting Ichigo back to normal." Shun-o gently lowered herself until she was eye to eye with Orihime. "Send us to break his mask. If he can affect us, your power, then you should be able to affect his. It would partially explain why you were able to stop him on the dome simply by asking."

"Woman, listen to me." Tsubaki shoved Shun-o out of the way, ignoring her protests as he shoved his little face into Orihime's. "You need to will this more than when I rejected the Hougyoku. As far as you're concerned, the damn _universe _depends on us stopping him. Got it?"

Orihime nodded vigorously. "Y – Yes sir!"

"Good." Tsubaki flew back and motioned to the others. "Let's do this." He tilted his head up, and narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. "All right you bastard. Two can play this game."

Taking a calming breath, Orihime closed her eyes. She held her hands out in front of her. "Shun-o, Ayame, Tsubaki, Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily…" She figured that saying their names out loud would help her concentrate her energy, just like she needed to back when she first got her powers.

She cleared her mind of all other lingering thoughts and insecurities until there was no other thought but to stop Ichigo. "Everyone…" _I want this more than anything. I want this more than anything. Everyone's counting on me to stop him. Everyone will _die _if I don't stop him. I want this more than anything. _

She willed herself to want it more than she wanted to hang out with her friends and get good grades. More than becoming a robot with a max speed of 380km/h with destructo-beam eyes and flames of up to 20,000 Celsius spewing from her mouth (as unlikely as that was ever to happen). More than graduating high school. More than becoming an astronaut or a baker or a teacher. More than-

No. Not more than, but just as much as she loved Ichigo. She was willing for this to happen as much as she loved him _because _she loved him.

"Everyone, go!"

The fairies took off: six round, golden bright lights that sped at Ichigo. Orihime kept repeating her mantra of _I want this more than anything _over and over in her head to keep her will, and thus the Shun Shun Rikka strong.

Ichigo had brought Hiyori to her knees, though she wasn't nearly as injured as Shinji. She was struggling to get back on her feet in time for the next blow when the Rikka blew past her and grabbed Ichigo's mask.

He howled in protest as they pulled him back. Tsubaki gritted his teeth, the brand on his face glowing as he tugged on hard as he could on Ichigo's mask. "Woman! More power!"

Unsure of how else she could muster up more will, Orihime reached deep down inside of her, looking for any hidden reserve of strength she might have left. _Stop, Kurosaki-kun. Please just stop. No more._

As she reached down deeper, shifting through her thoughts and emotions to find the strength she needed, she suddenly felt something that was… off. Not quite right. Out of place. It took her a moment to sift through her own emotions to get to it, but when she reached it, she realized that it was foreign.

It was like before, when she felt the guilt and anguish that didn't belong to her. _Kurosaki-kun?_

The emotions fluctuated and shifted to surprise. _It is you… I think. _

Not sure what to make of it, but sure that it would help, she reached into those emotions and screamed as loudly as she could, "STOP, KUROSAKI-KUN!"

Tensa Zangetsu fell from Ichigo's hand as the Shun Shun Rikka finally broke apart his mask. Ichigo's black and gold eyes widened briefly before they rolled into the back of his head. The wind gently lifted up his long hair as Ichigo fell forward.

Orihime sprinted towards him, calling on Hinagiku, Baigon and Lily to form Santen Kesshun. The three fairies swooped past Ichigo and constructed the shield below him, just in time to catch him. Orihime skidded to a halt next to him, lifting up his head as she shook him gently. "Kurosaki-kun!"

His Hollow hole closed up, and his appearance dissolved, leaving behind his regular human form. Orihime's fingers tightly clutched Ichigo as she suddenly felt empty inside, like something had left her. With the battle over and the adrenaline dying down, Orihime let out a sob, the only sound to fill the otherwise still and silent air.

* * *

**A/N: **Now excuse me while I run away from the angry Grimmjow and Shinji fans *flees*


	16. Chapter 16

Twenty days! Not too shabby, methinks. Now, I try not to make my opening and author's notes too long, but there are a couple things I need to address before (and after) this chapter. I don't know how many of you read this or the notes at the bottom, but at the very least, please read the **two questions/issues I'm addressing and the notes after the chapter. **

Okay, so, there are two things that reviewers keep bringing up that I'm going to clear up right here and now. If anyone asks me about them again, I'm just going to point to this chapter because I don't like repeating myself (no offense to anyone):

1. Whenever I say "flash-stepping" I use it as a general term for shunpo and/or sonido. I know sonido is a bit different than shunpo and it isn't exactly flash-stepping, but both of them involve moving very fast from one place to another in a "flash" so to speak, so I use the term flash-stepping. In the earlier chapters I used "shunpoed" and "sonidoed" but honestly, doesn't that look terrible? Not to mention I'm not sure if that's correct or not. Now I try to say "he/she used shunpo/sonido" whenever I can but it's not always possible. So "flashstep" = shunpo OR sonido (or the Quincy Hirenkyaku now that I think about it) depending on who is using it. Perhaps it's not entirely correct, but it's better than saying shunpoed or sonidoed.

2. This is also a reminder. This fic's timeline starts after Chapter 352 in the manga or about halfway through Episode 272 in the anime. Everything that happens after that doesn't count. So all of the stuff about the Final Getsuga Tenshou or Aizen's power-up a la the Hougyoku or even the conclusion of the fights in the Fake Karakura Town _AREN'T APPLICABLE_. None of that stuff is going to be brought up in this fic because that would totally screw up the timeline. Not to mention it would totally muck up my plot. So no, none of that.

*exhales* Right. Now for shout-outs! Thank you **b4ndg33k, oztan, p17oyDONju9n, uzamaki898, Demonbloodfeeder, pretense, Racholasj, Nel, Rachel, TheSnowLady, casey, DarkAngel2098, shadowanime1, oceanabyss, Iceflame55, nypsy, ombre nocturne, BoatsAndBirds, Aline, himelove22, Turtle-chan666, WestAnimeBrigade, T-Biggz, morbidly-funny, **and** war90. **You know that you guys are one of my biggest inspirations to keep writing this and updating, so thanks a bunch. You also make it twice as awesome. Now, it's time for me to shut up and let you read.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_Post-battle blues_

When he first woke up, Ichigo had no idea what had happened.

All he registered was a dull headache. It didn't throb nor make his head spin, but the pain was certainly there and Ichigo knew painkillers were in order before the headache became worse.

Then he heard voices. Initially they were indistinct and low, so much that Ichigo couldn't make out anything they were saying. However, after a few minutes of struggling to understand, the sounds became louder and soon he was able to not only make out _what_ they were saying but also _who_ was saying them.

"Still unconscious…" A pause or perhaps a lapse in consciousness on Ichigo's part and then, "No telling when…"

_Urahara. _Ichigo fought to wake up and tried to push past the murkiness that was still clouding his mind. He still wasn't able to think clearly; he hardly even remembered what he ate for breakfast that morning. All he knew was that he needed to wake up.

After struggling to open his eyes, he finally succeeded in managing to crack open the right one. His vision was a little blurry and everything was brighter than it should be, but within seconds the brightness was already dimming. He could even make out some of the cracks in the ceiling above him.

This just left the question of _what _ceiling it was.

Suddenly, a head with a mop of choppy brown hair blocked his view. He forced open his other eye and found himself staring back at Tatsuki.

"Ichigo!" She sounded worried, and Ichigo knew that was never a good sign. "Are you all right?"

"Y – Yeah, I think so." He still couldn't remember anything that happened, and now that his mind was clearing up, he began to panic. Forcing the panic down and keeping out of his voice, he quietly asked Tatsuki, "What about you?"

She gave him a quick nod. "I'm fine. Keigo and Mizuiro weren't hurt either."

"Where are we?" Ichigo asked as he began to sit up. He was feeling stronger already and he didn't feel any pain. His wounds must have been healed by-

"Inoue." He shot up and tried getting to his feet as his mind reeled. "Where is-"

"Kurosaki-kun." She offered him a comforting smile. "I'm okay. We're in Urahara's training ground."

His eyes immediately looked over to where her voice was coming from. To Ichigo's relief, she seemed completely unharmed. She was kneeling next to the Soten Kisshun, which was spread out over a few people on the ground.

Panic set back in when Ichigo saw the blood in her hair and on her clothes. "That blood…" His eyes widened.

"It's not mine."

"It's not hers."

Orihime and Tatsuki said it at the same time.

"Good." At least Orihime hadn't been injured. As Ichigo's eyes trailed back towards the Soten Kisshun, he wondered just who _had _been injured.

He peered closely at the people under the shield's healing glow. His heart skipped a beat when he finally recognized one of them as Shinji. He inhaled sharply as he glanced at the others laying next to Shinji. The seed of fear began to grow as he identified the other victims: Rose, Love, and Hiyori. The latter at least was sitting up, a sure sign that her injuries had been less severe.

Yet what was worrying Ichigo the most was not that they had been injured, but _who _had injured them. His memory was slowly coming back, and he remembered that they had been in a battle against Ichimaru and Tousen's forces. They had been doing well until the Vasto Lorde showed up.

A flash of memory tore across Ichigo's mind. In it he saw himself standing above the Vasto Lorde, Tensa Zangetsu poised over his neck.

Ichigo tried to suppress the dread that was settling in his stomach. He looked up at the others and found them staring quietly at him. Far away from everyone else he also saw Nel and Grimmjow with Dondochakka and Pesshe.

_Grimmjow…That's right, I was fighting him when Tousen and Ichimaru came. He wasn't really injured though. _Even now Grimmjow seemed fine, but Nel was keeping a hand pressed to his chest to prevent him from sitting up. Had he been injured, Ichigo thought, and at what point?

Then another memory floated back up. Grimmjow was charging a Cero in his hand. Ichigo was there in front of him, grabbing the Cero and destroying it before it was even fully formed. He saw the surprise in Grimmjow's eyes before he had swung and cut down the Arrancar.

The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to form a coherent picture, but Ichigo was not liking what he was seeing.

"The Vasto Lorde…" He looked up at Orihime and felt his gut clench at the tears he was seeing in the corner of her eyes. "What happened to him?"

"He's dead," she answered quietly.

It was as if Ichigo could hear in her voice and read in her eyes what she didn't, or perhaps couldn't say: _You killed him._

He glanced back at Grimmjow. _I nearly killed him. _Then his eyes rested on the Vizards underneath the Soten Kisshun. _I tried to kill them. _As he looked at his victims, the memories began to return with each realization. He could still practically feel Tensa Zangetsu in his hand as it tore and sliced through friend and foe. He could remember the blood that spilled from them and its metallic scent filling his nostrils.

_Blood… _Ichigo suddenly lifted up his hand and found it caked with blood. He stared at it in horror as he clenched and unclenched his fist. _What did I do?_ It coated his entire hand and trailed all the way up to his elbow. He curled his fingers and the feeling of bare bone gripped tightly in his fingers suddenly emerged. Gasping in shock, he yanked his hand out of sight as he tried to come to grips with the sensation he just felt.

_God, what the hell did I _do_?_

"Ichigo." Shinji's voice pulled him away from his spiraling thoughts and back to reality. Ichigo's wide, terror-stricken eyes met his calm gaze. "Yer remembering, aren't ya?"

The younger Vizard could only manage a nod.

Shinji sighed. "I was afraid of that. Look-"

"Would someone..." Hitsugaya's stern, if not rather impatient voice cut off Shinji. "_please_ give me an explanation?" He stepped forward from his position near the other shinigami on the other side of the Soten Kisshun. "Now." His tone left no room for argument; the tiny captain was not happy.

Snorting irritably, Shinji sat up, his head nearly bumping up against the Kisshun's dome. "What exactly do ya want to know? We don't know what that form of Ichigo's is. We've been trainin' to figure it out. Couldn't even tell ya why it happened either, not entirely."

"Not entirely?" Hitsugaya's eye twitched in irritation. "You know something about this at least. Why wasn't I or Soul Society informed?"

Out of anger, Hiyori tried jumping to her feet to confront Hitsugaya but was repelled back by the Kisshun. She rubbed her head and resigned herself to just glaring at Hitsugaya from her spot on the floor. "Dumbass! Why do you _think_? If Soul Society found out about this they'd probably try to seal up Ichigo's power, or worse!"

Orihime turned towards Hitsugaya, her doe brown eyes pleading. "Please, Hitsugaya-taichou. What happened earlier was an accident. Kurosaki-kun was just trying to protect us."

Taking Orihime's lead, Shinji added, "Look, we're workin' on it. None of your shinigami were injured. Hell, none of the humans were injured either. Just us and a Vasto Lorde who was stupid enough to attack Orihime-chan."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms, his ice blue eyes darting back and forth between Orihime, Ichigo, and the Vizards. He then bowed his head, his brow furrowed as he thought over what his decision should be. Rangiku and Momo stood silently by him as he considered what he should do.

Finally, after a tense two minutes, he sighed in resignation. "Fine. I won't report this to Soul Society." He shot Shinji a warning glare. "However, if something happens again because of this form, I'm holding you and the other Vizards responsible."

Speaking for the first time since Hitsugaya had demanded an explanation, Ichigo protested, "W - Wait! It's my fault what happened! I should be-"

"Shut it!" Kensei snapped at Ichigo. "Just go along with it."

"But..."

"Berry-tan." Mashiro scratched the side of her head with a single finger. "I think what Kensei's trying to say is that it was our fault. We let you rampage because we wanted to see what your form was like up close. And we're the ones who keep training you to be able to use that form freely, so..."

"We don't mind." Shinji waved his hand dismissively. "We owe ya, anyway."

From next to Hitsugaya, Momo spoke, "Owe him?" She lifted her head, revealing her shocked expression. "Owe him for what?"

Shinji's eyes narrowed at the vice-captain. "Saving our lives. We'd have been killed by that Ehru guy if it weren't for him."

No one expected to hear what came out of her mouth next. "YOU WERE NEARLY KILLED BY HIM!" Momo pointed an accusing finger at Ichigo. As if surprised at her own outburst, she took a step back. She let her hand drop to her side as she said, "You almost died either way."

"Hinamori," Hitsugaya said in a low warning tone. "That's enough."

Riza glanced uneasily at Kensei, both of them sharing an expression of concern. They didn't like where this conversation was heading. The former then looked back at Momo and in as calm and collected of a tone as she could muster said, "I think that's a matter of perspective. We choose to think of it as Ichigo protecting us and us instigating him in return. We asked for this."

Her anger reemerging, Momo countered, "Riza-san, I can't fathom what you're thinking. All I remember is him turning into a monster and-"

Ichigo winced at the term Momo used, though he couldn't help but agree with her.

"HEY!" Tatsuki leapt to her feet. Unlike Ichigo, she wasn't going to tolerate the insult Momo threw out. "How can you say that? He went into that form to stop that Vasto Lorde! Shinji's right: he saved our lives! And this is how you thank him? By calling him a monster?"

Keigo was of the same mind as Tatsuki. "It's not fair!" he argued. "There were... mitigating circumstances and stuff! He didn't hurt anyone who didn't get in his way!"

"Hinamori-san," Mizuiro said, his frown apologetic. "I know what happened was pretty gruesome, and we're not saying what Ichigo did in that form was right or necessary, but I think we need to look at the big picture here. Everyone was so worried about this Vasto Lorde killing us." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Ichigo stopped him. What more is there to it?"

"You're in no position to speak," Momo reprimanded. "You were down below. You didn't see-"

"We heard about everything we didn't see!" Tatsuki retorted. "You think we didn't ask?" She snorted contemptuously at Hinamori. "Get a clue! Of course we did!" The martial artist clenched her fist tightly. "And don't you dare say we're in no position to talk. _You_ had the captain that tried to wipe out my town and yet you call Ichigo a monster?" Her voice rose to a scream. "Ichigo could never be as monstrous as that Aizen person was!"

Momo's eyes leaked tears as got into a defensive stance. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT AIZEN-TAICHOU LIKE THAT!"

"I can talk about him however I want! He tried to kill us all!" She gritted her teeth in frustration, a last ditch attempt to control the rage that was building up inside. "He wasn't trying to protect anyone but his own selfish interests and he had no problem with killing anyone so long as it furthered his plans! That's what makes someone a monster if you ask me!"

"ENOUGH!" Hitsugaya and Urahara's voices rung out at once, silencing the brewing argument.

The shopkeeper shook his head. "You've both gone far enough. We're all shook up from the battle. We need to rest and recharge." He sent sharp looks at Momo and Tatsuki. "I think we're letting our emotions get the best of us."

Tatsuki took a step towards Urahara. "Yeah, but she-"

A strong hand was suddenly clamped on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ichigo standing behind her, his expression downcast and his gaze dropped to the floor. "Ichigo..."

"Enough, Tatsuki." Before she could argue, he continued, "I appreciate it, but Hinamori's right."

"What?" Rukia stomped over to Ichigo, dropping her head until she could look into his eyes. "No she is _not._ Don't even think that!"

"She's allowed to have an opinion." Ichigo's eyes hardened as he lifted up his blood-stained arm. "Look at this. Do you think a human could do this?"

Rukia sighed in exasperation, pressing her palm to her forehead. "You weren't in control. Look, it's unfortunate what happened and I know a few people were hurt. But no one on our side was killed and the people who were injured aren't angry at you."

Her words rang true, but Ichigo wasn't hearing them. Not the way he needed to. He stepped around Rukia and began to walk towards the ladder leading out of the training ground. "That doesn't matter. I'm angry and disgusted with myself. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen." He clenched his fist tightly as he continued walking past everyone.

"Kurosaki-kun." Orihime reached her hand out towards him.

Ichigo paused when he felt her fingers touch his arm. He clenched his jaw tightly. He wanted to pull her towards him and hold her close until the anger and dread festering inside went away. The urge to embrace her almost won out until he remembered the blood caked on his arm and the blood he had spilled on her.

She was too good and pure to be touched by him. As much as he wanted her touch, he knew he didn't deserve to be anywhere near her. He stepped out of reach, leaving her fingers to dangle in the air. "Have Tatsuki or someone walk you home, Inoue." With that said, he flash-stepped away from the others and leapt up through the hatch.

The entire room was enveloped in silence minutes after Ichigo left. No one knew what to say or what needed to be said.

Finally, Tatsuki walked up to Orihime and gently placed her hands on her shoulders. The healer looked over at her friend and nodded, understanding her meaning. Orihime dispelled the Soten Kisshun now that the Vizards were all healed.

As the pair began walking towards the exit, Tatsuki aimed a lethal glare at Momo and said, "I hope you're satisfied."

"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime admonished her.

"I don't care." Tatsuki pulled Orihime away from her house guests. "If she's going to go around calling people monsters then I'm not going to consider her feelings."

Momo said nothing in her defense as she stared down at the ground. Hitsugaya made a move towards Tatsuki, but she grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked back at her, waiting for an explanation, but she gave him none. She simply held onto his arm until Tatsuki and Orihime had left the training ground.

Rukia sighed in the heavy silence. "This can't bode well," she murmured so low that only Renji, who had walked over to her after Ichigo had left, could hear her. "We know what Ichigo's like. He's not going to forgive himself for this."

Renji clasped his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I know. I have a bad feeling we're going to have a rough few days ahead of us."

* * *

Unfortunately, Renji was right.

After spending the evening after the battle to rest and recuperate, everyone returned to school the following day. They wanted to keep up appearances and pretend the battle had been of little consequence. Hitsugaya had even told Soul Society that the battle went smoothly and few injuries had been sustained.

However, things were not well beneath the surface, even as much as Rukia wished they were.

She had taken it as a good sign that Ichigo had come to school. On the walk over, she had chatted with him like normal. The conversation was very one-sided though, more so than usual. He had hardly said anything. If he did, he responded with grunts and noises. Rukia was sure he didn't utter a single intelligible word during their trek.

_Of course he's upset by what happened, _Rukia told herself as they walked into school. _He just needs some time, is all._

Or so she had hoped. She watched him closely in class. He wasn't paying attention to the lessons being taught or listening to the sensei. He was in a perpetual staring contest with his desk as he sat still in his seat, not even bothering to pretend to be taking notes.

Once or twice, Shinji made an attempt to cheer Ichigo up.

"Stop mopin'," he said at one point. "Everything's fine. Well, unless ya count that damn quiz we got tomorrow. Then maybe not." He sighed in a dramatic fashion and slumped down in his seat. "I mean, hell, who wants to be tested on Japan post-World War II? It's depressing." He tilted his head towards Ichigo, wearing his usual grin. "Kind of like someone we know."

Well, maybe cheering up wasn't the right term. Unless one counted insulting and instigating someone as cheering them up. Rukia wasn't sure if that was Shinji's intent or not, but whatever his reasoning, his tactics weren't working. Whenever he would try to make Ichigo lighten up, the younger Vizard would either just ignore him or tell him to shut up.

By sixth period Shinji had given up and remained silent for the rest of the day.

What worried Rukia the most was not Ichigo's surly attitude towards Shinji (because really, when _wasn't _he surly towards him?) or the crestfallen expression he always wore, but the way he was distancing himself from Orihime.

The best example of this was when they were eating lunch together on the roof. Orihime sat next to Ichigo, as per usual. She was digging through her lunch bag when she came across the red bean paste she had brought along that day.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun!" She brought out the little jar. "I have some red bean paste. Would you like some on bread?"

"No."

Orihime's smile fell instantly as her hand holding the jar lowered to the ground.

"No, thank you," Ichigo corrected himself, refusing to meet Orihime's gaze. "I'm not that hungry." To prove his point, he tossed his lunch to the side, its contents unopened and untouched.

"O – Oh, I see." Orihime swallowed thickly as she turned her attention to the food in her lap.

Rukia sighed quietly and glanced over at Tatsuki. The tough martial artist seemed at a loss as to what to say or do. Though she and Tatsuki weren't that close, Rukia was sure that she was debating whether she should talk sense into Ichigo or punch him for talking to Orihime so rudely.

It was one thing for Ichigo to act like a jerk towards Shinji or anyone else. But for him to act that way towards Orihime, the girl whom he loved so much?

_This isn't good at all. _Rukia continued to remain sitting even as the bell pealed, signaling that the lunch break was over. She packed up her things, purposely taking her time. From the corner of her eye, she saw Renji standing near the stairwell, waiting for her to finish.

No matter what she said, she knew he would wait until she was done. He never left without her. _Odd, _she thought as she got to her feet. _I never really noticed until now. He's always been like that, I suppose._

Whatever his reasons were, Rukia was grateful for his support. She was sure she would need it in the days to come. As she walked towards him, he straightened up from his perch against the wall. "You all right?" he asked.

There was no use trying to hide it from him. "I'm worried," she admitted. "Ichigo's acting like an ass towards Orihime. That's not a good sign."

"I noticed it, too." Renji scratched the back of his head, looking as equally perturbed as Rukia. "I thought Arisawa was gonna knock him off the roof."

"I'm sure she considered it," Rukia agreed with a snort. "However, she's worried about him, too."

They began walking down the stairs together, letting the silence hang for a moment. As they reached the bottom, Rukia added, "I don't know what to do."

"Isn't this something he should tackle on his own?" Renji said.

He had a point. Rukia wanted Ichigo to stand on his own feet and overcome his troubles without any of their help. However, she also knew what Ichigo was like. He had gotten himself into bad funks before and usually he needed some guidance to get out of them. "I want him to, but he's showing all the signs of going into another one of his funks. This one could be serious, too."

"Yeah." Renji sighed in irritation. "And we can't just throw Inoue at him and have her use her weird voo-doo powers over him to snap him out of it."

Temporarily forgetting about the topic at hand, Rukia shot Renji a bemused glance. "Her voo-doo powers?"

"Uh, you know…" He glanced away sheepishly. "Like how she's always able to calm him down and turn him into a big sap. So, yeah. Voo-doo."

Unable to help herself, Rukia burst out laughing. She kept giggling and snorting until she was red in the face. Renji watched her with wide, confused eyes, all the while keeping her from stumbling and falling over in laughter.

"I – I can't believe you called them her voo-doo powers. I mean, _really_?" Though her tone was skeptical, Rukia was still chuckling over it. "Regardless of how ridiculous that sounds, I needed that." She wiped away a stray tear. "But you're right, I'm afraid. Orihime's _voo-doo powers _aren't going to work here. I just wish I knew what would."

"We'll figure it out." Renji tried to come off as assuring, though years of close friendship allowed Rukia to hear the uncertainty that lay beneath it. It was difficult for him to sound completely confident when he didn't have the answers, either.

But she appreciated his effort. "I hope you're right," she murmured. "Things might get worse, though, before they get better."

* * *

They did.

Orihime's heart sank when Rukia showed up at school the next day alone. Her friend read her questioning glance, and her only answer was a shrug and an apologetic grimace.

"Okay class!" Ochi-sensei began writing on the board. "We have a quiz today. Take out a sheet of paper and remember to write your name at the top. The date today is December 12th…"

The sensei's voice faded as Orihime's attention turned elsewhere. She went through the usual movements of pulling out her notebook and ripping out a piece of paper. However, her thoughts were elsewhere.

_Kurosaki-kun. _She thought of her boyfriend, most likely sitting alone in his room with nothing but his self-loathing to keep him company. Orihime wanted to run out of the classroom and go to his side and banish the thoughts that were surely haunting him.

Then she remembered the cold way he had spoken to her yesterday at lunch and winced. _I can't take it personally, _she thought as she began writing her name on the quiz. _He hasn't been acting right towards any of us. _Still, she couldn't help but feel hurt. She stubbornly shook her head and willed herself to focus on the task at hand.

Halfway through the quiz, she felt someone's eyes bearing down at her. Glancing to make sure Ochi wasn't looking first, her eyes scanned the room, looking for the owner of the stare.

She found it to be Shinji who was looking at her so intently. Quickly glancing at Ochi, who was staring out the window, Shinji lifted up a piece of paper for Orihime to see. On it was scribbled: _Meet me outside after school._

Orihime gave him a quick nod before resuming the quiz. As she began to meticulously detail the Treaty of Peace with Japan, she struggled to keep her mind from wandering. _What does Shinji-kun want to meet with me about? _she wondered as she finished writing her answer. Most likely it was something to do with Ichigo or the battle two days prior or any combination of the two.

Setting her pencil down, Orihime leaned back in her seat. Normally she would allow herself to relax for a few minutes after finishing a quiz, but given the current circumstances it was next to impossible.

"Sensei," she asked, standing up at her seat. "May I please go to the bathroom? I'm finished with my quiz."

Ochi beckoned for her to bring her quiz. Orihime quickly grabbed the paper and walked up to Ochi's desk. She handed her the paper, and after Ochi gave it a quick glance over, nodded at Orihime. "Go ahead."

Without so much as a glance back, Orihime hurried out of the classroom. At first as she turned down the hall, her pace was slow and even. Her steps were light, and anyone who passed her in the halls wouldn't think that something was wrong. However, the further she traveled from her classroom, the more hurried her strides became. Eventually she was sprinting down the hallways, her footsteps echoing along the corridors as she raced towards the bathroom.

She stumbled inside, her breathing uneven. Orihime checked each stall, making sure no one else was in there with her before standing in front of the mirror above the sink. Her eyes were clear; she had slept well last night, but only due to exhaustion. She was sure there would be slight bags under her eyes tomorrow.

Her fingers threaded through her hair, smoothing it down. As she began readjusting her hairpins, she stopped and wondered why she was even doing this. Why was she even _in _the bathroom to begin with? She didn't need to use the toilet and she didn't feel sick.

_I've been a little more meticulous about my appearance lately. _Even though she and Ichigo had only been dating for four days, she already was paying more attention to her looks than normal. She supposed she just wanted to impress him, even though it wasn't necessary.

_Four days… it feels longer than that. _Orihime sighed heavily, sinking to her knees and leaning her forehead against the sink. _Our relationship is only four days old and already it's been put under a lot of strain. What if we don't…_

"No!" She slammed her hand against the surface of the sink. "We'll… we'll be all right. We have to be. I can't start thinking about that." Unfortunately, once those thoughts entered her mind, they refused to go away.

Burdened by her existing worries and the new fear that her budding relationship with Ichigo would not survive this ordeal, Orihime couldn't bring herself to return to class. She spent the next four periods in the small, relatively unused bathroom alone with her swirling thoughts and anxiety.

Then during the lunch break, there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Orihime-chan?"

She snapped her head up. "Shinji-kun?" she answered.

"There ya are." Through the crack at the bottom of the door, Orihime could see Shinji shifting his feet. "I'd come in there but I probably shouldn't. You up for comin' out?"

Orihime got to her feet, though she nearly fell back down when they buckled beneath her. Her legs had fallen asleep in the few hours she had spent in the bathroom, kneeling on the floor. She forced her legs to work as she carefully stepped towards the door and opened it.

Shinji was leaning against the wall, both his books and Orihime's in tow. When she glanced down at her books, he explained, "I had a feeling you weren't gonna come back to class. How 'bout you and I skip on out of here? Not doin' any good by being here."

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Orihime bowed her head in apology. "I was still planning on meeting with you afterwards."

"I know." Shinji flapped his hand dismissively. "I was just gonna ask ya if ya wanted to come to the warehouse and train a bit today."

"Oh. Um…" Orihime glanced down at the floor. "I'm not sure if Kurosaki-kun will be up for that."

"Not training for _that,_" Shinji clarified. He scrunched his nose a bit, as if detesting the thought. "No way any of us are ready for that yet. I meant more along the lines of you trainin' with Hachi. Work on your abilities a bit."

Although Orihime felt like a delinquent for skipping out of school like this, she knew that staying here would get nothing accomplished. Training with Hachi would get her mind off of Ichigo for at least a little while, and it would be far more productive. "Y – Yeah, that sounds good."

He offered her a satisfied grin. "Good. Come on, let's get the rest of yer stuff outta yer locker and get the hell outta here."

She let Shinji lead the way and smiled when he rested his hand on the back of her shoulder in reassurance. It was quite a gesture on his part, considering he was very rarely open with his displays of _honest _affection.

_Thank you, Shinji-kun. _Orihime walked down the halls of Karakura High with him, grateful that she had such good friends like Shinji. If Ichigo's behavior continued in the following days, she would need their support to get through them.

And with any luck, she would need their strength, too, if they were to bring Ichigo out of the dark place his heart was in.

* * *

Somewhere in the deepest reaches of the Seijōtōkyorin, the residences of the Central 46 forbidden to everyone but the Central 46 members themselves, was a well-hidden chamber. This chamber was disguised as one of the resident towers of the Central 46.

There was nothing special about it, not from the outside. Its door was locked, but so were all of the resident tower doors. It had no distinguishing features that set it apart from the others, nothing that told of what it was guarding on the inside.

If one should gain entry, they would have found the tower empty save for a large, amazingly ornate door on the far side of the room. This door was locked by a key that only one man in Soul Society had access to. Should one be so lucky as to get this key, they would have to chant the proper incantation in order to gain access inside.

But once they did, they would be welcome to a whole other world, so similar and yet so different from Soul Society. This world had forests and mountains and rivers, too. Yet it also had a magnificent city with a great palace suspended above it on a floating island in the sky.

The shinigami called this world the Royal Realm. To Yuuki, the Reiou's only daughter, this dimension was home. Right now, her home was being threatened by a plot that could potentially disrupt the order of both the Royal Realm and Soul Society.

Inside the palace, Yuuki was spying on a few of the Royal Guard who had just walked inside the grand hall. Carefully positioned behind one of the columns that supported the arched ceiling, Yuuki watched them from the hallway above, her presence hidden by shadows and a well executed kidou spell.

Her wide brown eyes followed every movement the men made down below. They didn't even bother to check to see if anyone was passing on the second floor, too preoccupied with their conversation.

"Ichimaru and Tousen retreated from the human world," one of the men said as he readjusted his old captain's haori that hung from his shoulder. "Their so-called trump card didn't turn out to be so 'trumping' after all."

The leader of the group nodded. "I see. And the boy who defeated the Vasto Lorde? Is it who we think it is?"

"Yes, Commander Kurou." The first man smiled in satisfaction. "It is. I had sent one of my men to watch the fight. Kurosaki Ichigo, they called him. You were right about this boy. He's exceptionally skilled and powerful."

"Also, sir," the third man, who had been silent up to this point said, "We ran tests on the reiatsu sample I had gotten from him in the human world, when he was in that restaurant that morning. His reiatsu shares half of the same markers as the former commander's."

Kurou chuckled to himself, seemingly pleased by the news. "Excellent. This all is working out perfectly. It seems we finally found them. We no longer need Tousen and Ichimaru." He paused before the grand staircase that led to the second floor, where Yuuki was still spying on them. "Everything is going according to plan. We'll wait to make our next move, though."

The third man frowned at him in puzzlement. "Why? We've finally found him. It's taken us 20 years to track down Isshin and Masaki. We even know for a fact their child is strong enough for our other plan, too."

Kurou shook his head, his expression patient. "We can't yet. It's too early."

"Ryou," the first speaker said, "Commander Kurou is right. Our intelligence tells us that he can't even willingly control that Hollow form yet. He's no good to us as of right now. Once he's had more training and gets closer to attaining it, then we'll proceed. Besides," He scrunched his nose disdainfully. "The shinigami are on high alert right now. We need to move when their guard is down."

"So after Ichimaru and Tousen are captured," the one called Ryou said. "Very well."

"I understand your impatience, Ryou," Kurou said, "but we can't move too quickly. Believe me, I want to grab that boy now and make Isshin and Masaki suffer." His fist clenched at the mention of the two. "We'll be able to kill two birds with one stone with this plan. If we rush now, all of our careful preparation will be for nothing."

The first man nodded in agreement. "Yes. Though I have to say, Commander, your idea about planting that story in the Great Spirit Library was excellent. I think it spurred them to train the former commander's boy faster."

Acting humble, Kurou waved off his praise. "Not necessary, Nori. It was a long shot at best."

"Commander," Ryou said, "what should we do in the meantime while we wait?"

"Sit back and watch the show." The commander of the Royal Guard shrugged, though his eyes glinted with dark pleasure. "It'll be fun to see Tousen and Ichimaru defeated by the squads. It'll be one loose end tied up for us."

Yuuki snorted in disgust as the three guards chuckled at the thought. She waited until they went their separate ways and were out of sight for a few minutes before emerging from the shadows. "This can't bode well," she murmured to herself.

"Your Highness."

The princess nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun around to confront the source of the voice, her hand reaching for the short sword she always carried. Her long, dark blue hair fanned out all around her, obscuring her vision for a moment.

When her hair settled, she was surprised to find a short but sturdy female Royal Guard staring at her. "Hikifune?" Yuuki said.

"Sorry if I scared you." The former twelfth division captain walked up towards Yuuki, her old haori trailing behind her. Unlike Kurou and the other higher ranked Royal Guard, Hikifune still wore her shihakusho. It made her look very compact, which Yuuki supposed was one reason she still donned it.

"It's fine." Yuuki let her hand rest at her side. "I was just afraid it was Kurou or…"

"I know." Hikifune glanced back at where Kurou and his lackeys had been standing. "Trust me, you're not the only one on guard lately."

"Have they said anything to you?"

"No. They haven't tried to recruit me into their little scheme. Most likely because they know it would be of no use."

Yuuki nodded. "I see." Her eyes were riveted on the floor, unsure of what to say next. She couldn't figure out just what Hikifune was doing here or why she was speaking with her.

As if reading her mind, the redheaded guard explained, "You're also not the only one watching them. I don't like what they've been doing, and now I'm worried."

"I'm on the verge of panic." It was taboo to go to the human world without the Reiou's orders or consent. Considering her father had been in meditation for the past few years, Yuuki knew that Kurou had certainly not gained his permission to go. "I mean, good heavens, Hikifune. I don't know what their other plan is that requires a powerful person like this Ichigo child, but this is also for revenge!"

Hikifune shook her head in disdain. "Poor Isshin and Masaki. All they wanted was peace. And Masaki, she…" Yuuki saw a flicker of emotion in the usually stoic guard's eyes, but it passed before she could determine what it was. "I can't allow this to happen."

"Kurou is your superior officer though," Yuuki pointed out.

"I know. I won't act just yet. I'll keep watching their activities and figure out what they're planning." Hikifune turned back to Yuuki. "Not all of the guard is under his thumb. A lot of us are beginning to wonder what it is he's doing, and I have a feeling there will be dissent when the time comes."

The same thing had crossed Yuuki's mind. It would be terrible if a battle broke out amongst the Guard, but it was better than whatever it was Kurou was planning. "I can't imagine what Kurou will try to accomplish by using Kurosaki Ichigo's powers. But I do know that this is a two-pronged plan. He'll also use Ichigo to hurt Isshin and Masaki." She clutched her hands tightly together and winced as she thought about the jovial former commander and his sweetheart. "I love Isshin and Masaki. So does my father. I don't want to see them get hurt."

Hikifune placed her hands on Yuuki's shoulders. "I don't either. Princess, believe me, I'm going to do everything I can to stop Kurou when the time comes."

Yuuki nodded shakily. "I believe you. Should we bring my father out of meditation?"

The older woman frowned and considered it for a moment. "No," she decided. "Not yet. It's not like we have substantial proof anyway. Even you can't act on what you've heard because you have no proof. It would be our word against theirs. So for now, we watch and wait."

"And then?"

Hikifune shrugged. "We stop them, no matter what. I will not let them hurt Masaki's son and bring chaos to the Royal Realm."

Yuuki returned Hikifune's gesture and thought for a minute how strange they must have looked, a princess and her guard acting like they were war buddies. "Right," she said with a more determined nod. "I'll do what I can, too."

She would stop them, too, not just as the princess and acting ruler of the realm, but also as a friend of Isshin and Masaki's. She owed them both for their help in the past. It was time she repaid her debts.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh ho. The villains are revealed at last~

Now, before you go scrambling off, a heads-up: next month is November. And it's more than just the month of Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas season, it's also NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don't know, it stands for National Novel Writing Month. I plan on participating again this year, but since I have to write 50,000 words in one month (that's the whole challenge and premise behind NaNo), I am going to dedicate myself solely to this task next month. That means no writing TBBU or anything else, so the next update won't be until December, I imagine. Sorry, I know I was on a roll with these fast updates, but it can't be helped. So hang in there until December; I'll get back to writing Chapter 17 as soon as I can!


	17. Chapter 17

I'm back! The noveling season is over, and so I make my return to fanfiction. And what better way to come back than with a new chapter? Amirite?

Sorry guys, I'm on a major sugar rush, so I'll just get to the shout-outs and the thanks before I go off on a tangent. Many, many thanks to **SleeplessxB3auty, Lydia, p17oyDONju9n, Racholasj, Aline, WestAnimeBrigade, b4ndg33k, Rachel, chuchootrain, Lustful Moon, DarkAngel2098, war90, nypsy, D U A L I T Y x2, Somerlia, **and **ombre nocturne** for the reviews! I luff you guys!

And special thanks to Star and Crystal Dawn for beta-reading this for me! Now, I shall shut up and let you read.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_The worsening funk. The clearer understanding_

"Concentrate." Hachi's voice was soft but commanding as he gestured with his large, broad hands at the much smaller Orihime.

She nodded briefly before her brow puckered and she held out her hands in front of her. "Santen Kesshun," she said, deciding to call out at least part of the incantation in order to aid her.

The three Rikka swooped out from her hairpins and formed the triangular shield in front of her. Hachi nodded at it and then glanced at Orihime, who was kneeling on the ground a few feet in front of him. "All right. Now, use your willpower and your reiatsu."

As Orihime stared intently at the shield, Shinji and the other Vizards were watching the training from their perch atop several rocks. They kept a safe distance from Orihime and Hachi just in case, though none of them believed they were in any danger. The worst that could happen was a stray Tsubaki and even then, with Orihime's less-than favorable outlook on battling, he probably wouldn't hurt them much.

"What are they trying to do?" Mashiro asked as she cocked her head to the side. "Make the shield stronger?"

"I don't think so," Rose murmured as he watched Orihime run her hands along the shield. "I think they're trying to make it bigger."

"What the hell for?" Hiyori asked. She crossed her legs stubbornly and rested her elbows on her knees.

Riza glanced over at her casually. "Why not? The shield itself isn't very large. If a huge blast of energy were to come streaming towards all of us right now, her shield wouldn't be able to protect everyone."

"It's easier to work on somethin' like size, rather than strength or power." Shinji never took his eyes off of Orihime as she struggled with the shield, even as Hachi murmured encouraging words. "With all the shit that happened the other day and with Ichigo bein' a dick, her mind's just not altogether. Need her at her best if she's gonna improve her offensive abilities, and I can tell ya fer sure, she ain't at her best right now."

"Then why train at all?" Hiyori countered.

"Better than mopin' in the bathroom, where I found her earlier. Gets her mind off of him for a little while at least."

His answer was a sandal to the head. Shinji spluttered and cursed as he was knocked off his rock by Hiyori's well-aimed smack. "The hell?" he screeched from his sprawled position on the floor as he rubbed his head.

"You were in the girls' bathroom?" Hiyori's glare seemed fiery enough to melt rock as her eyes narrowed at Shinji. "You pervert!"

"I didn't actually go _in_!" Shinji scrambled to his feet. "I just knocked on the door when I sensed her reiatsu!"

"Liar," Hiyori muttered. "You probably went in to look under the stalls to see some panties, especially considering the last time you probably saw any-"

His pride wounded by Hiyori's insinuation, and refusing to listen to her insulting insinuation, Shinji stuck his face in front of Hiyori's. "Ya friggin' brat! It hasn't been _that _long, and I could say the same for you-"

Hachi clapped his hands together with enough force to snap everyone's attention towards him. "Enough!"

"S – Sorry," the bickering pair murmured as they backed away from each other.

An astonished gasp made Hachi look away and back down at Orihime, who was smiling in triumph. While Shinji and Hiyori had been bickering, Orihime had managed to expand her shield to three times its original size. "Ah, Hachi-san! I did it!"

"Excellent," he said, patting her on the head as he beamed. "Now, shall we test it?"

"Sure."

He pointed to the other Vizards, who watched warily as Orihime moved the shield and positioned it in front of them. "Like that?" she asked Hachi.

"Yes. Now, keep it steady." Hachi clapped his hands together and chanted, "Hado #63: Raikouhou!"

Before Love could finish the protest that was beginning to form on his lips, the kidou spell fired and rocketed towards the shield. Instinctively, everyone leapt out of the way and behind the rocks just as the spell hit the shield.

The air shook for a second as spell and shield met before it was over. Once the dust cleared, all that was left was Santen Kesshun, still intact and behind it a bunch of flabbergasted, if not impressed, Vizards.

"Nice, Orihime-chan," Shinji said as he poked his head from behind the rock. "Bigger and still strong."

"That was our goal," Hachi said as he relaxed his posture.

The momentary silence was broken with the shrill ring of a cell phone. Shinji frowned bemusedly as he pulled out his cell and looked at the number. "Don't recognize it."

"Then don't answer," Hiyori said.

Ignoring her, Shinji shrugged and flipped it open. He waved off her angry remarks as he said, "Hello?"

"_Shinji? It's Matsumoto."_

He blinked twice, his expression now completely bewildered. "How did you get my number?"

"_A woman has her ways,_" Rangiku answered coyly. "_It's no matter. Is Orihime there?"_

"Yeah." Shinji glanced over at Orihime as a way to indicate to her that they were speaking about her. "Why?"

"_I need to talk to her. It's kind of urgent, if you don't mind." _Her tone wasn't pressing or betrayed any hint of worry on her part, which made Shinji question just how "urgent" this really was.

But he knew better than to question Rangiku. "Right, right. Here." He hopped off the rock and handed the phone to Orihime. "It's for you."

Orihime walked over and took the phone from Shinji, quietly thanking him before pressing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

She was quiet for a minute, only occasionally nodding to whatever Rangiku was telling her over the phone. She pursed her lips together, her brow furrowed as she finally said, "I understand. I'll come right over. Thank you, Rangiku-san."

She closed the phone and handed it back to Shinji. "I'm sorry everyone, but I need to get back home."

"Is everything all right?" Hachi asked, his smile falling as his eyes met Orihime's.

"I – I think so," she said, hunching her shoulders. "It's just that… Tatsuki-chan is over and from what Rangiku-san told me, it sounds like she really needs to talk with me. And Hinamori-san."

Shinji scratched his head awkwardly. "That might not be too good."

"It's why I should get back." Orihime picked up her books which had been propped against a rock and smiled at Hachi. "Thank you for your help today."

"I'm glad we were able to make some progress. Take care until next time."

She nodded, and then waved to the other Vizards quickly before running towards the stairs.

When she was out of earshot, Shinji sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. "She's more worried than she's lettin' on."

"She's always more worried than she lets on," Hachi amended with a saddened frown.

* * *

When Orihime came home, she found Tatsuki waiting for her in the living room, sitting across from Momo. Though it seemed like they had been there for awhile, the tense atmosphere told her that nothing had really been said.

"I'm home," Orihime said brightly, trying to mask her concern as she closed the door behind her.

Tatsuki and Momo both snapped their heads up quickly. "Hey," the former said. "You all right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry if I made you worry." Orihime shrugged off her coat and hung it carefully on the coat rack. "I left school with Shinji-kun. I wasn't doing any good by being there anyway."

Her best friend nodded in understanding, and Orihime smiled gratefully, having been afraid that she would get a lecture from her friend about skipping. She looked across the room towards the kitchen, where she spotted Rangiku leaning against the counter. The vice-captain seemed relaxed, but in her eyes Orihime could see the immense relief.

"So what's going on?" Orihime asked Tatsuki.

With her shoulders hunched defensively, Tatsuki glanced away from Orihime nervously. "Well, I kind of wanted to talk about stuff, but…"

"But what?"

For the first time since arriving at the apartment, Tatsuki finally looked at Momo. "I think I owe an apology first."

Momo lifted her head in surprise, but waited for Tatsuki to speak.

Taking Momo's cue, Tatsuki forced her body to relax before she began, "Look, about what happened at the training grounds the other day… I'm sorry. At least, I'm sorry for my words and how I pretty much bit your head off.

"But I'm not sorry for sticking up for Ichigo." Tatsuki leveled a stern gaze at Momo. "I stand by that. I'm not sorry for my feelings, but I'm sorry for the way I… expressed them."

Momo let her head bow and clasped her hands tightly on her lap. "Harsh words or not, they got me thinking. And you were right: I had no right calling Ichigo-chan a monster. I can't even believe I said that."

"You do believe it," Tatsuki said, her tone mildly angry.

"Tatsuki-chan-"

"I don't mean it like that," she corrected before Orihime could scold her. "I just mean, it's what she really believes. I just don't think she ever expected the words to come out of her mouth."

The troubled vice-captain sighed. "Yes and no. I did think what happened during the battle was terrible, but I was just worried, too. And I like Ichigo-chan, don't get me wrong." She glanced up at Orihime and Tatsuki with a plea in her eyes. "I wanted to beat myself up for hurting him so much. But I just don't know what to make of what happened."

Deciding that now was a good time for her to step in, Rangiku walked over in the living room and took a seat next to Momo. "Well, it was a shock for everyone, but it seems like it affected you more. Why were you so…"

"Appalled?" Momo offered with a self-depreciating smile. "I'm not sure, not entirely, but I think it has something to do with all my issues concerning Aizen."

Rangiku and Orihime exchanged surprised, if not worried glances, while Tatsuki just frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Momo was quiet for about half a minute, struggling to get her thoughts together. She fidgeted with her hands before she finally said, "It just makes no sense. As a shinigami, I've always been taught that Hollows are the enemy. They're the ones that we must oppose. And us shinigami, we are supposed to have reason and faculty on our side for the sake of maintaining order in Soul Society and to keep balance in all the worlds. Hollows are just lost souls with no conscience or reasoning."

"But that's not necessarily true," Orihime said quietly. "Nel-san is a very kind Hollow. And Arrancar have a sense of reason, even if they don't always use it."

"I know." Momo shook her head, almost as if in disbelief. "It all seems so backwards. Aizen-tai – I mean, Aizen was supposed to be good and kind, but yet he…"

"Went off the deep end?" Tatsuki offered.

Momo chuckled a bit, despite her words. "Yes, I suppose that's one way of putting it. He just went in a completely different direction and turned into something I didn't recognize. Then the other day, Ichigo-chan transformed into that Hollow and I automatically wanted to label him as a monster, and I did, really." She hung her head in shame. "I was so bent on my absolutes that I didn't bother to consider how careful he was with Orihime-chan or how he didn't hurt anyone who didn't try to stop him."

"And he only hurt them because he was trying to protect us," Orihime explained. "From what I can tell, that form operates on instinct. Anyone who tries to stop him is seen as an enemy."

"Except for you," Rangiku pointed out with a coy smile. "He has a soft spot for you, even at his most primal."

"Yeah, how romantic." Sarcasm dripped in Tatsuki's voice as she rolled her eyes. "But she has a good point."

"Ichigo-chan just wanted to keep her safe." Momo's mouth became set into a determined line. "And really, after everything's said and done, that's all he was doing. Hollow or not, his intention was good, so he isn't a monster for it."

Suddenly she looked up at Orihime, her eyes burning with a question. "But I have to ask, Orihime-chan. During the battle, when he was standing so close and spattered blood all over you, weren't you scared?"

Orihime was understandably surprised at her question, and it took her a moment to register it and think it over. When she came to an answer, she smiled sadly. "Yes. I was scared. But I wasn't scared of him."

"You were scared for him," Tatsuki finished. "You said that a few weeks ago when you came back from Hueco Mondo."

"I did, and I still mean it, but…" The rest of what she wanted to say was left unspoken but understood by the other women: Ichigo doesn't seem to believe that.

"We'll get him to come around," Momo swore quietly, though there was a powerful determination in her words. "I'll do what I can to help; it's the least I can do."

Orihime smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

* * *

From his perch against the hallway wall, Hitsugaya sighed quietly in relief. _That's one issue down, _he thought. Momo had been lost in thought a lot the past two days, and he had figured it was because of Tatsuki's words. He was glad that she had apologized for how she had spoken her mind, but he was even gladder that Momo was seemingly beginning to understand what Tatsuki had been trying to say.

But their problems weren't over. Hitsugaya glanced in the direction of Ichigo's house and frowned. _Kurosaki, on the other hand, continues to be a stubborn idiot. What are we going to do about him?_

The young prodigy was stumped for an answer to that question. This wasn't a traditional battle, and it certainly wasn't one that reason and logic could win. Therefore, he was out of his element and at a loss as to what to do.

He crossed his arms and leaned his head forward. _We have to try, though. Right now, our best bet is that Kuchiki will knock some sense into him. But even she doesn't seem to be having any luck._

_

* * *

_

Rukia would have, begrudgingly, agreed with Hitsugaya's thoughts.

"Ichigo!" she called for him as she marched up the stairs towards his room.

She received no answer, which was commonplace the past two days. Under normal circumstances, she would have beaten him up for blatantly ignoring her like that, but she decided that right now, persistence was better than physical violence. Then again, she hadn't ruled out the latter option yet.

"Ichigo!" she said again as she peered into his room. She found him sitting at his desk, staring at his blank notebook and closed textbooks. "Hey, are you deaf? I've been calling for you."

His only acknowledgment was a weary but irritated gaze aimed at her. But it was better than nothing; at least he was _looking _at her.

"Let's go for a walk," she suggested enthusiastically. She wasn't sure why she was trying to ask him to go instead of just forcing him. _Maybe it's because even though I'm angry and irritated with him, when I look at him he just seems like he's going to fall apart._

Ichigo did certainly look worse for wear, if not pitiful. His hair was messier than normal, his eyes bloodshot, and his overall demeanor was crestfallen. It was like he hadn't seen the sun shine in years.

"I don't feel like it," he answered before turning away.

_No surprise, _Rukia thought dryly. "You don't seem to want to do anything, not even your homework," she said, pointing to his notebook which had nothing written in it. "You need to force yourself."

She watched him lean his head forward, and she was sure he wasn't going to answer her when he said, "I just need time."

"For what?" she countered, her tone more demanding than she had intended. "To think? Brood over what happened? Beat yourself up some more? You've done enough of that!" Her voice softened as she continued, "You need to talk to us. You need to talk to Orihime."

His shoulders stiffened when she mentioned Orihime. Still refusing to look at her, Ichigo said quietly, "No. She shouldn't be around me."

"That's crap!" Rukia slammed her hand against the wall, venting her anger. Despite the rather uncommon display of violence (at least against an inanimate object), Ichigo didn't even flinch at her outburst. "She needs you!"

"_Needs _me?" Ichigo finally met Rukia's gaze, but the dark anger that lay within his eyes almost had her stepping back. "What she _needs, _Rukia, is a guy who won't have her enduring days of training because she has a connection with a monster. She _needs _a man who won't put her in harm's way. And she _needs _a man who won't ever spill blood on her!"

"That's not for you to decide!" Rukia's fist clenched tightly, enough for her stubby nails to dig into the skin of her palm. "It's up to her! Even if you're not good enough for her, which is bullshit, that's her call, not yours!"

She met his ferocious gaze with one of her own, refusing to back down, even as his reiatsu spiked. She narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Don't even try to intimidate me. It doesn't work."

With a sudden bang, Ichigo's chair was knocked to the floor as he abruptly stood up and strode past Rukia.

"Where are you going?" she demanded as he walked into the hallway.

"The bathroom," he snapped before he walked into it and slammed the door behind him.

Rukia kicked his fallen desk chair, but winced when it collided with the desk and knocked his books onto the floor. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath. She considered picking them up, but then decided to let them stay. "He won't touch them anyway."

She stalked out of his room and stomped down the stairs. From the corner of her eye she saw the twins glance at her in concern, more than likely having heard the yelling from upstairs. As much as Rukia wanted to assure them everything was fine, she couldn't. She didn't have it in her to lie right now.

Instead, she walked past and grabbed her coat. She threw it on as she hurried outside. Her initial plan was to take a walk, but now she felt too drained to go anywhere. She opted to just sit against the side of the clinic and take a breather.

Her hands were shoved into her pockets, and she wiggled her fingers as she felt for her communicator. Without thinking, she pulled out her phone, opened it and punched a few buttons. She held it to her ear and waited as it rung.

"_Yo._"

It was good to hear Renji's voice. It had served as a harbor for her during the storm that started after the battle two days earlier. "Hey…" Her voice was hesitant, but she didn't bother to conceal it. There was no point in hiding her emotions. Renji would have picked up on it sooner or later.

"…_What did he do now?_" Renji's voice was irritated, but Rukia knew it wasn't aimed at her.

"Besides his usual rotten attitude?" Rukia sighed as she recalled Ichigo's self-loathing words. "He basically said that Orihime deserves better and that she doesn't need him."

She couldn't see him, but Rukia was sure Renji probably had slapped his palm to his forehead. "_Great. He cuts her off, we're in trouble._"

"I don't know what to do!" Rukia lightly banged her head against the wall. "I've never seen him hit rock bottom like this. He's going to self-destruct at this rate."

Renji was silent for two minutes, and Rukia could only tell he was still on the line was from the sound of his breathing and the occasional background noise.

"Renji?"

"_Then we need to do something drastic. I don't care if we have to throw him in a closet with Inoue and lock the door for a couple of hours." _Despite the rather humorous suggestion, his tone betrayed no joking on his part.

"We may have to," Rukia agreed in a low murmur. "I just, I feel like this is my fault."

"_Rukia-_"

"I know I have no reason to think that, but I do." She glanced up at the sky and noticed it was getting dark already, much like her mood. "I told Orihime once that it was my job to snap Ichigo out of any funks he got himself into." Her voice quieted as she said in a self-depreciating tone, "Some job I'm doing."

"_Oi, knock it off." _Rukia winced from the anger she heard in his voice, though she knew she had it coming. Renji hated it when she came down on herself. "_You're his friend, not his caretaker. If he can't be rational on his own then we'll all have to knock some in there together."_

She smiled; those were words she needed to hear. "Yeah, you're right." Suddenly, she started chuckling. "Since when did you turn into the reasonable one?"

"_What? I'm reasonable all the time!" _Renji protested. Because she knew he was being serious, Rukia couldn't help but laugh even harder. In turn, this made Renji splutter and become even more defensive. "_I am!"_

"When?" Rukia asked, trying to hide her smile as if Renji could see it, though she was sure he could hear it in her voice.

She wasn't surprised when her question was met with silence. Smirking in triumph, she said, "Like I thought."

"_I've been reasonable many times,_" Renji retorted. "_…I just can't think of where to start._"

"Right," Rukia said skeptically. "I suppose that you and Ichigo breaking down the wall when we wanted to enter Las Noches is considered one of your reasonable moments."

"_What else were we going to do? Walk for three days to the entrance? And for the record, it wasn't just my idea. It was his, too."_

"Yes, Ichigo, who embodies the definition of reason," Rukia said dryly.

"…_Good point, but it still wasn't a bad idea!"_

This set off another string of chuckles from Rukia and thus another string of spluttering from Renji. When the former finally calmed down, she said, "You're a buffoon." Before Renji could protest, she added in a soft voice, "Don't ever change."

_I need that goofiness of yours just as much as I need your strength. _"It's not a bad thing," she said when Renji grew silent, perhaps at a loss as to what to say to her earlier statement. _It's not. It's one of the best things about you, and that's why I…_

"_I'm coming over."_

"Eh?" Rukia blinked in surprise, even as she heard shuffling in the background and Renji yelling that he was leaving to Urahara or whoever was there at the shop.

"_I said I'm coming over. We're going to get this crap done with. I'll see you soon." _And with that he hung up, leaving Rukia to stare bemusedly at her phone.

* * *

Renji arrived over a half hour later, his bright red hair visible even in the fading light. Rukia was still sitting outside of the clinic when he shuffled up to her, his shoulders hunched underneath his coat. "Yo."

"Hey." Rukia stood to her feet, and glanced up at him. "What's with the sudden urge to come over?"

"Like I said, I want to settle this." Renji glanced towards the clinic, his eyes narrowing in determination. "Come on. Let's go talk to him. We won't stop until he listens."

Rukia nodded. "Right." As she began walking back into the clinic, with Renji right behind her, she thought, _Goofiness and strength. It makes no sense, but it works for him._

She gently pushed open the side door before poking her head in. "Uncle?"

Within seconds, Isshin appeared from parts unknown, wearing his usual smile. "Ah, Rukia-chan! What can I do for you?"

"Well, uh, I thought I'd let you know I have a friend of mine over." Rukia stepped in and beckoned towards Renji, who remained standing in the doorway. "This is Renji."

Isshin walked over to Renji. His expression stern, he held his face just inches away from Renji's as he closely examined him. The vice-captain refused to step back, even though he felt Isshin was seriously violating his personal space. The corner of his lip twitched, but he showed no other sign of discomfort under Isshin's scrutinizing stare.

Without warning Isshin thumped Renji heavily on the shoulder, almost sending the redhead toppling. "Ha! I like him! I approve heartily, Rukia-chan!"

"A – Approve?" she asked as she helped Renji up.

"Of him! What a fine young man!" Isshin gave her a not-too-subtle thumbs up. "I'm so happy for you, Rukia-chan!"

It took the pair a moment to register what Isshin was implying. When they did, both of them bore blushes the shade of Renji's hair as they said, "What?"

"Oh don't be so shy about it!" Isshin waved his hand dismissively at them. "Young people these days. When I was a lad, we boasted about our love lives! Now, if Ichigo would only…" He looked towards the stairs. "Perhaps a good daddy and son talk is needed! Oh Ichigo-o-o-o-o-o-o!"

"W – Wait, uncle…" Rukia reached her hand out to stop him, but Isshin was already bounding up the stairs.

"So much for our smackdown with him," Renji muttered under his breath.

Isshin reappeared on the stairs, this time looking a little confused. "Hmm, Rukia-chan, do you know where Ichigo is?"

Frowning, Rukia started walking towards the steps. "He was in the bathroom earlier. Could he still be in there?"

Rukia, Isshin and Renji climbed the stairs and walked cautiously towards the bathroom door, which was still shut. "Ichigo?" Rukia knocked on the door. "Hey, are you still in there?"

They were met with silence. Rukia and Renji exchanged glances before the latter nodded and pounded on the door. "Oi, Ichigo. Open up. We gotta talk."

No answer again. Isshin scratched his chin and stared thoughtfully at the door. "Odd. I know he's been acting strange lately, but even this is going a little far."

Apparently Renji agreed, because he suddenly wrenched the door open. "Hey! We're-"

His mouth dropped as he stared into an empty bathroom. Rukia peered around him, and her eyes widened as they traveled over towards the open window. The room was freezing with all the cold air blowing in.

"What on earth?" Rukia nudged Renji aside and stepped inside. "Did he go out the window?"

Isshin quietly walked past her and to the window. He leaned against the windowsill with his hands and looked out. His smile had vanished, leaving behind such a serious expression that Rukia felt like she was looking at a different person. "Uncle…"

"We'll search for him, sir," Renji said, his mouth set in a grim line. "I'm sure he didn't get far."

"Yeah, we'll find him, uncle. We'll be back soon."

Rukia began to walk out, but paused right before the threshold. She threw a glance over her shoulder at Isshin, who remained silent and was still looking out the window. She sighed quietly before walking out of the room and down the stairs with Renji, leaving Isshin alone with his swirling thoughts.

* * *

As soon as the two of them were a block away from the clinic, they both pulled out their communicators and began calling their friends. Renji called Sado while Rukia called Ishida, and they both explained to them what had happened.

Once both friends told them that they hadn't seen Ichigo but would join them in the search, they hung up and made the next set of calls.

"I'll call Shinji," Renji said as he went through his contacts.

"You have his number?" Rukia asked in surprise; even she didn't have it.

He nodded as he pressed some buttons. "Urahara gave it to me. I asked for it back when Ichigo and Inoue started training with them. Just in case."

What Renji had in mind for "just in case" Rukia didn't know, but she decided that whatever his reasoning was didn't matter. "Right. I guess… I need to call Orihime."

"We should have called her first, I think, but…" His eyes saddened as he met Rukia's gaze, and she understood what he was saying: it was unlikely that Ichigo was there, and telling Orihime what had happened was only going to make her worry more.

"I know." Biting back the guilt, Rukia punched in Orihime's number and held the phone to her ear as the other line rung.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Orihime." Rukia tried to make herself sound relaxed, despite feeling anything but. "What are you doing?"

"_Um, I'm just having some tea with Rangiku-san, Hinamori-san, and Tatsuki-chan. Would you like to join us?" _she asked cheerfully, her voice filled with so much sweetness that it only fueled the guilt Rukia felt, knowing that she was about to ruin Orihime's day.

"I'd love to, but… ah, damn it." She wiped a hand over her face and tried to compose herself. She felt Renji's hand squeeze her shoulder, and it helped her to continue on. "Orihime, have you seen Ichigo?"

"_Not since yesterday. Why?" _

"He's sort of missing. I mean, I'm sure he's just out taking a walk or something," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "But he left the clinic without a word and we can't feel his reiatsu."

She heard Orihime inhale sharply, and she winced. _I'm sorry, Orihime._

"_We have to find him," _Orihime said, her voice shaky despite how resolute she sounded.

"We're out searching for him right now. Ishida and Sado have been told and are going to help and Renji's calling Shinji."

"_I will, too. And – oh, um, hang on." _Orihime's voice became muffled as she started talking to someone else. Rukia waited and listened until Orihime was finished. When she came back on, her voice was slightly sheepish. "_Tatsuki-chan, Hinamori-San, Rangiku-san and Hitsugaya-taichou are coming, too."_

"The more the better. We're meeting at the community park."

"_Okay. See you soon."_

"Yeah." Rukia hung up and turned to Renji, who was already finished speaking with Shinji. "What'd he say?"

"Haven't seen him either. They're gonna start looking through the warehouses before meeting up with us."

"All right. Let's head over to the park then. We'll ask anyone along the way if they've seen Ichigo."

* * *

By the time they reached the park, they had asked over two dozen people if they had seen Ichigo, and none of them had. Most of the people they talked to assured them that they would have seen someone with orange hair, and since it was easy to see Ichigo in a crowd, Rukia and Renji knew that wherever Ichigo was, he wasn't anywhere near where they were searching.

"I'm going to throttle him when we find him," Renji muttered darkly as they walked into the park.

"That makes several of us." Rukia was not in a good mood, although her worry currently overrode any irritation she felt towards Ichigo. "I think I see Orihime."

As they came closer, the pair could clearly see Orihime, Tatsuki and the shinigami staying with Orihime standing next to a group of trees. Orihime waved to them, though it lacked her usual enthusiasm.

"Any luck?" Rukia asked them.

"No." Hitsugaya crossed his arms and closed his eyes in concentration. "We asked anyone we could, but if Kurosaki's out there, he's not in the vicinity of Inoue's apartment."

"And he's not in the clinic's part of the town, either," Renji said as his brows furrowed. "But there are plenty of places we haven't searched."

"Oi!"

Everyone's heads turned towards the direction of the voice. Further down the path, they saw Ishida hurrying over towards them. "Someone spotted Kurosaki."

"Where?" Orihime asked, taking a step towards Ishida.

"In the east, heading towards the Mitsumiya district. It was about an hour ago, though."

"It's better than nothing," Hitsugaya said as he straightened his back. "It's a trail. Let's head that way and see if we can catch up to him."

"Sado's where we talked to the witness." Ishida turned and led the way, the others following closely behind him as they ran out of the park and headed east.

They were a strange sight: a rather odd-looking group of eight individuals tearing through Karakura Town. They startled the older man whom Sado was talking with when they arrived. "Goodness, what a party," he said.

"We apologize, but we're looking for a friend." Ishida bowed politely to the elder before continuing, "You said you saw him?"

"If you're referring to that downcast orange-haired boy, then yes. He was moving rather quickly. He went down that way." He pointed to an adjacent street nearby. "Knew where he was going, if you ask me."

"Thank you very much, sir." Ishida bowed again before turning to the others. "He has some destination in mind."

For the first time, Sado spoke, "We're near Urahara's shop, aren't we?"

"Ah!" Orihime smiled and nodded. "That's right! Maybe he went to talk to Urahara-san!"

"I hope so," Rangiku murmured. "Let's stop by and ask. If anything, he might have an idea of where Ichigo is."

Together they walked to Urahara's, following the same path that Ichigo likely had used to get there. The trek wasn't a long one, for the shop was only a few blocks away.

When they arrived, Orihime excitedly pushed open the shop door, likely expecting to see Ichigo inside. "Hello, Urahara-san! Where is…"

She froze when she saw the shouten residents standing around in a loose circle around Urahara, who was holding a note in his hands.

He looked up when Orihime came in, his expression neutral. "I'm afraid you missed Kurosaki-san. As did I."

"Huh?" Orihime slowly walked inside with the others right on her heels. "What do you mean?"

Urahara handed her the note as Yoruichi frowned sadly. "I think this will explain it."

She took the note and read it out loud for the others, "'I'm sorry for taking your cloak. I promise to return it soon.' Signed, Kurosaki." Her shoulders sagged as she let the note dangle at her side. "I see."

"I'm afraid that cloak he stole represses reiatsu, so searching for him would be close to impossible. It's getting too dark outside to conduct a proper search anyway." Urahara leaned his head forward until his hat covered most of his face. "He doesn't want to be found right now, and as much as we may hate it, we have to respect it for the time being."

"So, what are we supposed to do? Just wait?" Tatsuki demanded.

"What else would you propose?" Urahara asked, lifting his head and raising an eyebrow. "Searching for him now would be pointless and time consuming. If anyone else is searching, I suggest you contact them and call it off."

Renji grumbled as he pulled out his communicator. "I'll call Shinji back," he said as he punched in his number. "He's gonna be mad."

Tatsuki clenched her fist for a second before forcing it to relax. "Let's go back to your place, Orihime, and get some work done. We'll worry about your idiot boyfriend tomorrow." She slung an arm around her best friend's shoulders and gave her a smile.

Orihime nodded, and Tatsuki began to lead her out of the shop. She stopped, bringing Orihime to a halt with her right before the door. Tatsuki turned her head and said, "I'm letting this slide tonight, but starting tomorrow, this crap is going to stop."

Granted, she had no idea how she was going to bring an end to Ichigo's funk, but she had a gut feeling that something tomorrow would inspire her to put an end to it.

She had no idea just how right she was.

* * *

**A/N: **dun dun dunnnnnn. Well, maybe. We'll see how right she is next chapter. Until then, R&R and have a good holiday everyone!


	18. Chapter 18

I has an update~ But I don't know when the next one will be. It'll depend on how much finals this week kills my muse. They tend to do that every year x_x

ANYWHOOO. Glomps and thanks to Star and Crystal Dawn for beta-reading this for me. And shout-outs go to **SleeplessxB3auty, Chuain, oztan, b4ndg33k, Aline, shadowanime1, gbrys, morbidly-funny, nypsy, SilentRaider52, Racholasj, Idzetc, ombre_nocturne, cmcwiki, p17oyDONju9n, uzamaki898, AbaraiArekushisu, war90, Somerlia, TwistedVines, **and **chuchootrain. **Also, thanks to everyone who favorited and alerted the story.

Without further ado, here's the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

_This is what nakama are for_

The solitude was welcoming, especially since the world seemed so unkind right now. Sitting against a tree trunk, barely visible in the fading sunlight was Ichigo, donned in Urahara's cloak. The hood shadowed his facial features save for his scowl, which was much more pronounced than normal. His legs were crossed and his elbows rested on his knees. His head was bent forward, and he looked to be in meditation or deep thought, which considering his behavior the past couple of days was the likely scenario.

He had wanted the time and space to think. In the end, he had been forced to take a few drastic measures in order to do so, like climbing out the bathroom window and stealing from Urahara, but he had gotten what he needed. At least, what he thought he needed.

_Maybe Rukia was right, _Ichigo thought as he stared off into nothingness. _Maybe I don't need to think. But what else can I do?_

All he wanted to do, truly, was to get his thoughts and emotions sorted. He was a wreck right now; he was well aware of it. He still just felt so disgusted and horrified over what he had done during the last invasion. The memories were now vivid, unlike when he had first woken up and had no idea what had happened.

He fisted a hand in his hair as the image of blood spattering over Orihime surfaced from the seat of his subconscious. _Damn it. I can't allow that to happen again. She should never have had to witness that._ He thumped his head against the tree trunk once and then twice, as if he was trying to beat the memory out of his mind. _But I can't guarantee that as long as she's with me. That's why I can't let her come near me._

Pushing his friends away was painful, but keeping himself away from Orihime was torture. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to go to her apartment several times, and each time it was getting harder to keep her away. Despite the agony, Ichigo was resolute in making sure Orihime was safe, even if it meant protecting her from himself.

Ichigo snorted derisively. _I guess I was the biggest danger all along. It's clear now. I should never have started training with Shinji and the Vizards, and I should _never _have brought Inoue into it. _

It made perfect sense to him; it was convincing his friends that seemed to be the hard part. He had tried explaining it to Rukia earlier, but she had been absolutely adamant in her stance. _Damn midget's so damn stubborn she won't listen. But I guess the same could be said for everyone else, too._

He knew Ishida would only twist his words around if he tried to convince him, and it would be the same with Shinji and Urahara. _Especially _Urahara. The shopkeeper would have found a way to slice his argument into pieces, which was why Ichigo was avoiding him for the time being.

Renji would side with Rukia and probably punch him, and even Sado would probably beg to differ (in as few words as possible). Then there was Orihime.

_She would never agree with me. She's too kind, and I know she worries about me. _He also knew that if he went crawling back to her, she would accept him with arms wide open and brush aside everything that had happened. It was both a strength and a flaw of hers. It was good to forgive, but Orihime forgave too easily in Ichigo's opinion, and he certainly didn't deserve it.

_A monster doesn't deserve it. _His jaw clenched as he remembered Momo's stinging words. They hurt like hell, but he felt that she had summed him up adequately. He couldn't help but wonder: if Momo felt that way, did that mean the others felt the same and were just afraid of being upfront with it?

Ichigo sighed heavily, and he slumped back against the tree. It was thoughts like these that had been eating away at him, to the point where they were physically draining him of his energy and strength. He lifted his eyes and realized as he stared into the sky that darkness had fallen. There was hardly any light left, and it was beginning to get cold.

Yet he didn't want to go home. He knew his father and sisters would have noticed his absence by now. Yuzu would start crying, his father would be dramatically bawling over his mother's poster, and Karin would be scolding him for worrying them. Then Rukia would take him upstairs and proceed to beat the crap out of him.

_Yeah, _he thought dryly, _don't really want to go back to that right now._ Sometimes he wondered why he had to be stuck with such a weird family. Nothing in his life seemed normal. _The closest thing I have to normal is Inoue, but even then…_

The need to see her erupted from somewhere deep inside and violently clawed its way through his organs and up his throat until he almost choked. His hand gripped the grass beneath it so tightly it uprooted the grass from the ground. _Goddamn bond is making things worse. _A part of him felt terrible for cursing their bond, whatever it was, but it certainly was adding to the already fiery pain in the pit of his stomach.

"_Stop being such a stubborn jackass and go see her."_

Ichigo gritted his teeth as his Hollow made his presence known. _Shove it before I throttle you._

"_Ohhhh, see me shakin' in my sandals." _Shirosaki's tone was mocking, but it turned irritated again as he continued, "_Why are you doing this to us? You're making _everyone _in here so damn miserable. It's been pouring for two days straight. _Pouring. _I'm drenched to the fucking bone."_

_Cry me a river. I don't care._

"_Oh yes you do. Because you're sufferin', too. You're worse off than the rest of us. Look, king, I'm all up for being an obstinate ass now and then but this is beyond fucking ridiculous." _His Hollow sighed in aggravation, not used to having to be the reasonable one. "_C'mon, don't you at least want to check up on her like a good little boyfriend?"_

Ichigo cursed when he realized his Hollow had led him into a trap. If he denied wanting to see if she was all right, then he would just make himself look cruel and uncaring. He hated admitting anything to his Hollow, but he had little choice. _Well, yeah…_

"_Then go take a peek you moron."_

Before he was aware he had made a decision, Ichigo was already on his feet and sprinting back towards town. _What am I doing? _he wondered. _I can't risk getting caught. _Yet despite the risks, his legs continued to keep moving, crossing the town boundaries and propelling him past buildings and shops.

By the time he thought to slow down, he was behind Orihime's apartment complex. He sighed in disbelief. _Stupid, stupid, but I guess that while I'm here…_

Making sure to stay hidden beneath the shadow of a nearby building, Ichigo craned his head back until he could somewhat see into Orihime's bedroom window. One of her curtains was pushed back, and in the soft light he could see her walking around her room. She seemed to be cleaning or straightening up.

For a moment he allowed himself a small smile as her brow furrowed in concentration and her tongue teased the edge of her mouth. She looked adorable, so intently focused on whatever it was she was doing. His smile grew wider when Orihime suddenly jumped and flailed, perhaps due to an unexpected noise or voice.

Tatsuki's head suddenly came into view, and Ichigo took a step back further into the shadows. With Tatsuki it never hurt to be extra cautious. His usual scowl falling back into place, he watched as the two girls conversed. He couldn't hear anything they were talking about, but it seemed to be something serious as Tatsuki was wearing a stern frown and Orihime's usual smile was absent.

_I wonder if it's to do with me. _Ichigo winced as a sharp pang of guilt hit him. _It probably is. Damn it. Inoue, I'm sorry._

When he looked back up, his eyes mournful, he realized that Orihime was looking through the window and straight at him. _How did she- _Ichigo didn't give himself time to even fully formulate the question in his head. He turned and bolted before Orihime could say or do anything. He retraced his earlier route and headed straight for the woods he had just left not long ago.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it! _He mentally cursed himself the whole way back as he skirted around a garbage can strewn across an alleyway. _Wonderful. Let's tack on 'coward' to the list along with 'monster' and 'bastard'. _

He kept going until he reached the forest and was deep inside under the thick cover of trees. There he finally came to a halt, his chest heaving in and out from the exertion. _I should have gone in my shinigami form._

But the ever nagging presence of his Hollow in the back of his mind reminded of why that was a bad idea at the moment. It was not like the situation he was in a few months earlier, when his Hollow was trying to gain control. He had Shinji and the other Vizards to thank for that, but right now he didn't want to put himself into his shinigami form simply because it served as an added precaution against turning into that Hollow form again.

_Shinji… _Ichigo frowned pensively as he thought about the ex-fifth division captain and his comrades. _They've got to be pissed at me. _He sighed, imagining the beating he would get from Hiyori and possibly Kensei for this recent stunt he pulled. He knew that deep down they were just concerned, but he really didn't want to deal with them either.

When he thought about it, there was really _no one _he wanted to deal with aside from Orihime, and he refused to see her. In the end, he had completely isolated himself from everyone. It was what he thought he had wanted, but he now found himself painfully alone.

Ichigo sighed heavily. These swirling thoughts would give him no rest, and he knew he was in for a sleepless night. Resigned, he straightened up and began walking, letting his feet carry him anywhere but towards the town.

* * *

He wandered the outskirts of town the whole night and early morning. He roamed around the warehouses, and then back through the woods before his aimless path took him down by the river. Dawn was just breaking as he walked alongside the water, his eyes never lifting from the ground. Inevitably, his steps led him to the fateful spot that had changed his life forever.

Masaki's blood had long since washed away, but in Ichigo's mind he could still see it clearly. He heaved out a sigh, his breath visible in the chilly air. "Mom, what the hell do I do?"

It was a wonder that he hadn't gone towards the graveyard during his roaming, but then again, he never came to her grave save for the anniversary of her death. If he wanted to talk to her, which he did on occasion, he did so in his head or out loud when no one was around.

What would she have said, he wondered, if she was here to see him now? Would she be ashamed? Worried? At a loss as to what to do?

_Probably not. Mom always had an answer. _Exhausted from all the walking, Ichigo's legs gave out and he collapsed onto the riverbank grass. He closed his eyes and thought about his mother, wishing she was here to help or give him a sign or _something._

For some reason he couldn't yet understand, his thoughts shifted from his mother to Orihime. Sometimes when he thought of one of them he inevitably thought of the other. He couldn't place a reason as to why. The only connection he could think of was their appearance. They did look a bit alike; even Ichigo had noticed it, but he had never really thought of it as more than just a coincidence. Before he could really mull it over, he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, the sun was in the sky and already starting on its path towards setting. Ichigo rubbed his eyes as he sat back up. He groaned when his back protested in pain. _How the hell long was I asleep?_

The sleeve of Urahara's cloak rustled against the grass, a subtle reminder to Ichigo that he was wearing stolen property. He had to return it, and today was probably the best day to do it. He felt bad enough for having taken it from Urahara, but he hoped his thievery could be overlooked if he returned it as soon as possible.

_I don't want to go back to the shop though. _He was still bent on avoiding Urahara, but he had to return the cloak somehow. After a minute of speculation, he decided to give it to Renji when school let out. Granted, this plan wasn't much better, but it was easier to dodge Renji than Urahara, if need be.

His mind made up, Ichigo got to his feet and climbed up the riverbank. His legs were sore, but he ignored the mild pain as he reached the crest of the hill and headed towards the high school. Fortunately, this walk was much shorter than last night's, much to the relief of his aching body.

When the school came into view, Ichigo took off the cloak. He really didn't want to be seen at school wearing some weird black cloak since his reputation had taken enough of a hit recently, and there was no point in hiding now.

He stepped out into the sunlight, and his eyes squinted, no longer under the cover of the hood. His reiatsu flared freely, and it felt strangely liberating. But the brief feeling was quashed when he heard the bell peal. He wasn't sure what period it was, but he waited tensely as students began to flood out of the classrooms and out into the halls. He saw a few familiar faces through the windows, and he silently prayed a teacher wouldn't catch him hanging outside after skipping school.

In an ironic twist, his prayers were granted, and instead of being caught by a teacher, he was spotted by Orihime. Panic seared through his veins as his eyes met hers. The fates were working against him today, for he had not honestly expected to be seen until school let out, let alone by Orihime.

She immediately bolted in the opposite direction, undoubtedly heading for the nearest door leading outside. Through the window, Ichigo watched, rooted in his spot by fear as Rukia and Tatsuki exchanged confused glances. Behind them, Sado and Renji turned their heads, and they were the second and third people to spot him. Naturally they pointed and Rukia, Tatsuki and Ishida, who had also been walking with them, were now aware of his presence outside the school.

This was not going like planned.

Ichigo considered tossing the cloak on the ground. He could chuck it and leave. _But they'd be able to sense my reiatsu and follow me. _Swallowing in resignation, he waited for his friends to arrive.

Orihime was the first outside. She bulldozed out a side door, jumped the steps leading up to it, and barely managed to avoid scraping her knees as she landed. Ichigo had never seen her in so much of a determined but manic rush, save for when he had been nearly fatally injured during his fight with Ulquiorra.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she shouted to him. Despite the teary worry in her eyes, there was a small smile plastered on her face. "Are you all right?"

He barely managed a nod. Face to face with her, Ichigo could feel his resolve weakening. It was much easier to keep her at a distance when she was actually far away from him. In such close proximity, her scent and reiatsu were mingling in his senses, and it took considerable willpower on his part not to draw her into an embrace.

"I need to see Renji," he choked out. From the recesses of his mind, he heard his Hollow swearing at him profusely.

"Oh, um…" Orihime turned. "I was walking with him earlier."

The same side door that Orihime had used opened, and out poked the heads of Rukia, Ishida, Renji and Sado, now also joined by Keigo and Mizuiro. They stepped out cautiously from the threshold, their steps slow and careful. They were watching Ichigo like he was a lunatic about to draw out a gun on them.

At least, that's the metaphor he drew in his mind. He held up the cloak and then tossed it towards them. "Take that back to Urahara!"

Renji watched the cloak fly and land onto the stoned pavement of the school courtyard. As if skeptical, he looked up at Ichigo and raised his brow.

Ichigo took a step back. "Oi, it's not that difficult! Just grab it and give it back to him!"

When he was met with silence, Ichigo fisted a hand in his hair. Just what was Renji's _problem? _Why was he staring at him like that? He was about ready to explode when he felt a small hand on his bicep.

His eyes widened as he looked down at Orihime. Her deep brown eyes returned his stare, and her smile was replaced with a sad frown. "Kurosaki-kun."

If her proximity was weakening his willpower, then her touch was all but destroying it. Ichigo could feel his arm shaking as he struggled harder and harder to not give in. "Inoue, don't-"

"Come back to us," she pleaded. Ichigo could hear her voice thicken with tears, but she didn't shed any. "Please stop hurting yourself. _Please._"

He shook his head, even as his heart screamed 'yes!' "No. You gotta stop."

Orihime bit her bottom lip, but she was going to be as stubborn as Ichigo. "I won't. How can I stand by while you tear yourself apart?"

Her eyes widened, and Ichigo was reminded of the fight two – no, three days prior when her eyes had widened in fear. Failing to consider that fear hadn't been aimed at him, Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Let go and go back inside where it's safe."

"Safe from what?" she demanded, her tone harder than he was used to hearing. "You're not a threat to me. You're just Kurosaki-kun, you're not-"

"A monster?" In that next moment, something inside him snapped. He wrenched his arm from Orihime and shouted, "_Yes I am!" _His words were loud enough to make Orihime twitch. "Damn it, Inoue, I'm not going to put you in more danger! Why you or none of the others don't understand that is beyond me, but just stay the _hell away from me_!" The desperation and fear that he had been trying to contain had poured out and flowed into his harsh words.

Those very words were the ones that broke her heart. He could see the pain in the way her eyes widened in shock and from the way her body trembled. Clenching his jaw so tightly he thought his teeth would break, Ichigo stumbled away from her. "Damn it, I really am a monster."

The shouts of the others fell on deaf ears as he turned. The only thing he heard was Orihime's sobs, and with each one he felt his own heart tear to pieces. Angry, heartbroken and lost, Ichigo just ran from that place. He didn't turn around to see his friends run towards Orihime, nor did he turn to see Tatsuki stand in the threshold of the side door surrounded by Hitsugaya, Hinamori and Matsumoto, her eyes as wide as saucers.

* * *

Tatsuki couldn't move for a full minute, even as she watched her best friend break down. Hitsugaya and the other shinigami ran over to Orihime, who was on her knees and bawling. She just continued to stare where Ichigo had been, in complete disbelief of what she had just witnessed.

"Arisawa." Ishida's voice brought Tatsuki from her shock. Her still wide eyes fell on him as he knelt down next to Orihime.

Slowly slipping back into reality, Tatsuki bounded down the steps and hurried over to Orihime. She slid into a halt in front of her. "Hey, Orihime…"

"I don't know…" Orihime's shoulders were heaving in rhythm with her breathing as she tried to form a coherent sentence through the tears. "…What to do…"

Tatsuki placed her hands on Orihime's shoulders, and the contact snapped her out of her shock completely, rooting her back in reality. With the surprise wearing off, anger and a grim determination were setting in rapidly.

She had put up with a lot of crap from Ichigo, but he had gone too far this time. _Way _too far. Enough was enough.

"Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Hinamori, can you bring Orihime home?" Her narrowed eyes lifted up towards the trio.

The young captain nodded. "Yeah."

"Thanks." She rose to her feet, and ruffled Orihime's hair gently. "Get home and binge on ice cream. I'll handle this." She then cast her gaze towards Rukia, Renji, Sado, Mizuiro, Keigo and Ishida. "You guys wanna take a walk with me?"

Rukia crossed her arms, and her eyes mirrored the same iron-clad resolve as Tatsuki. "Yes, I think we need to."

Renji glanced at Rukia and then at Tatsuki. "We going to where I think we're going?"

"Yes." The very atmosphere around Tatsuki seemed to darken as she turned towards the direction Ichigo had taken off in. "It's high time we paid the clinic a visit."

* * *

The air around Ichigo also seemed to be dark and ominous, although for entirely different reasons than Tatsuki. It seemed to follow him like a thundercloud hanging over his head as he barged into the clinic, not in the least concerned about who might or might not be home.

He didn't see Yuzu or Karin, but his father was in the room in seconds. Even Isshin must have sensed the aura about Ichigo, for he didn't try to attack or tackle him. Instead, he kept some distance in between them as he frowned in concern. "Son, what is it?"

"Leave me alone," Ichigo said with more venom than intended. He brushed past his father and climbed the stairs. He made a beeline for his bedroom. When Kon sat up from his sprawl on Ichigo's bed, the teenager shot the plushie a menacing glare, silencing any annoying quips before they could be made.

Instantly Ichigo felt worse for the way he had treated his father and Kon, and he angrily grabbed his towel before he stormed into the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him with far more force than necessary as he tossed his towel onto the rack.

As he stripped off his clothes, Ichigo let the whirling tornado inside of him consume him, too tired to fight it. His knees nearly sagged beneath the emotional burden, and it took some effort on his part just to turn on the shower and not fall over.

_I broke her heart. I just fucking broke her heart and left her there. _The disgust he felt at himself doubled.

When the water was warm, he stepped inside and let it run over him, the only physical relief he had felt all day. His hands braced against both sides of the shower wall, and he watched the dirt and grime run off of him. He was exhausted and hardly felt compelled to take a proper shower, but if he was going to be a heartbroken heartbreaking jackass, he might as well be a clean one.

Usually he was quick in the shower so there was hot water left, but today he took his time. After a full twenty minutes passed, he finally shut off the nob and stepped out. He dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist before shuffling out of the bathroom and into his bedroom.

The door shut behind him, and he sighed as he threw his towel onto his bedpost to dry. Kon was nowhere to be seen; the poor mod soul had probably gone and hid somewhere. "For the best," Ichigo murmured as he pulled out a clean pair of underwear, sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt. He donned them, and then glanced longingly at his bed. Sleep would do him considerable good right now, and it would help him forget for a little while the expression on Orihime's face when he yelled at her.

Suddenly, there was a pounding on his door. Ichigo sighed, wondering why his father didn't just barge in as normal. "Go away."

The pounding continued, this time more insistently. Ichigo gave a short yell of frustration before he wrenched open the door. "_What _do you-"

It was not his father in front of his door, but Death, and it was in the form of a very angry and very scary Arisawa Tatsuki.

She must have known what had happened. Whether she had witnessed it or heard about it, Ichigo didn't know. All he knew was that he could forget about that nap because Tatsuki had much, much worse plans in mind.

_Oh God._

That was his last thought before her fist came up and struck him underneath his jaw. This was followed immediately with a kick to his stomach. The force of the latter sent him stumbling back and crashing against the foot of his bed. His shoulder slammed into his bedpost, sending sharp streams of pain down his arm.

As Ichigo struggled to stand back up, Tatsuki "helped" him to his feet by grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him up. She pivoted on her heel and threw him out the door, leaving him to tumble and roll down the hall. He had no idea how she was strong enough to haul him up and throw him with one hand, but he blamed it on adrenaline and the raw energy anger brought.

He was next met with a kick to the gut, and then another, and then a third that sent him toppling down the stairs. Stars danced across his field of vision as his head slammed against the floor when he landed. He winced as his back ached even worse and his head began to throb. "Damn it…"

Chad, Renji, Rukia, Ishida, Keigo and Mizuiro suddenly loomed over him. Ichigo's eyes widened, waiting to see what they would do to him. "Wha…?"

Sado turned, and then nodded to someone. Ichigo assumed it was Tatsuki. Renji crackled his knuckles, motioned to Sado, and then both men bent down and grabbed Ichigo by his armpits. They lifted him up until only his heels were touching the ground. "Guys, what-"

"Sorry about this, uncle," Rukia said as Tatsuki made purposeful strides towards the door. "We'll be back in time for dinner."

"Yes," Mizuiro said sheepishly, "please excuse our intrusion. It was good to see you again."

Isshin could only blink stupidly and nod as Rukia led the others out of the house, dragging Ichigo behind them.

Ichigo was at a loss. For the first few minutes, he debated what to say or if he should say anything at all. Obviously he had pissed everyone off; this came as no surprise to him. However, he wasn't sure where they were taking him. Usually they just knocked the crap out of him wherever he happened to be, but this wasn't the case.

"Where the hell are we going?" he finally asked. At worst, he would get a punch to the gut or face, which he was sure he would already be receiving when their trip was over.

"I dunno," Keigo said with a shrug. "Just following Arisawa. I wouldn't be chatty if I were you, though."

_Good point, _Ichigo thought dryly. From here, all he could do was either fight back or just be carried like a heavy log to destinations unknown. Instinct was urging him to fight, but he neither had the strength nor will to put up a struggle.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn't have to long to wait before they arrived at Tatsuki's chosen location. As Ichigo looked around, he recognized it as one of the parks near his house. There was no one around but them. In other words, no witnesses.

Suddenly he was yanked out of Renji and Sado's grip and thrown to the ground. He let out an "oomph" as his chest hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him. His fingers dug into the hard soil as he fought to catch his breath, but Tatsuki denied him the opportunity with a swift blow to his side that had him tumbling over the dirt and grass.

Ichigo's cheek scraped along the tiny rocks imbedded in the dirt. He lifted his face and gently ran his fingers over his cheek. Just as he checked his fingers for blood, Tatsuki charged at him again, knocking him into the air with a kick to the gut, followed with a left hook to his other cheek. This time Ichigo knew there was blood; the taste was distinctive in his mouth.

With a loud slam, his previously injured shoulder hit the dirt again. He was going to be incredibly sore in the morning, though this was operating under the assumption he would _survive _until morning.

"I've made two important promises in my life," Tatsuki said with ferocity. She slammed her foot on top of Ichigo's back, and he winced. "One was that I would beat the shit out of anyone who makes Orihime cry."

The pain in his back and in his stomach was nothing compared to the agony he felt when she reminded him of the harsh words he had said to Orihime. He wanted to desperately erase that memory from his mind forever, but it persisted and rightly so: he had broken the heart of the girl he loved.

He deserved the ass-beating he was getting, so he bit back his curses when Tatsuki stomped on him again. "That includes boyfriends. Damn it, Ichigo! How could you say those things to her?" she yelled, pressing her heel into his back.

He lifted his head up and turned it as much as he could to meet her gaze. From the corner of his eyes, he could see her piercing glare. "I don't know what you want me to say, Tatsuki. I said those things because I'm a bastard. It's basically what I've been saying all along." He spit out some of the blood in his mouth. "I'm not proud of what I said, and I won't forgive myself for it. Why do you think I'm letting you beat the shit out of me? I deserve it."

Suddenly her glare turned into a pensive frown. With less force than he expected, Tatsuki turned him over with her foot. Sprawled on his back, Ichigo could directly look her in the eye without having to twist his neck.

"The second promise I made," Tatsuki began, "was the pact I made with you. You remember, don't you?"

"Yeah." It was the pact he had formed with Tatsuki a couple weeks ago. She had promised to protect Orihime from the everyday threats, like Chizuru, and he would protect her from the bigger ones, like Hollows. "Yeah, I do."

Tatsuki grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up until they were face to face. He tensed, waiting for her reprimand about how he had broken their pact and had put Orihime into jeopardy. But instead, Tatsuki said, "You upheld your end of the pact Ichigo, and that's all I care about."

His jaw dropped slightly as he regarded her closely. She was being dead serious; he knew she wouldn't joke about something like this. "But, what? No, I… I didn't."

"YES YOU DID!" She shouted it just inches from his face. "How loud do I have to scream until you hear me? What words will make you listen?" She gave him a hard shake. "IDIOT! That Vasto Lorde was going to kill everyone! _Everyone! _Including Orihime! You remember, don't you? He went after her and tried to kill her!"

Tatsuki gritted her teeth, trying to reign in her anger and frustration. "So you did what you had to do! Yeah, it wasn't pretty and some people got hurt. But that was the risk _they _took. You need to respect that."

He stared at her, slack-jawed, unable to find the right response. "I…"

She wasn't done yet. "I'm speaking for everyone here, Ichigo, when I say that I was not scared of you. Okay? I was more scared of that Vasto Lorde and the thought of you and Orihime dying up there. I was _relieved _when you got back up, even if it was in that form." She used her other hand to grab his orange spikes to make sure he never turned his gaze away from hers. "Do you understand this?"

"That wasn't how it was supposed to happen." Ichigo pounded his fist into the ground. "Do _you _get that? I slaughtered Ehru. I tossed his carcass away like it was a piece of trash. I may not have hurt everyone but I was still dangerous!" He wanted to scream, but he knew that wouldn't end well, not with Tatsuki in the mood she was in. "Think about it! If you had made one wrong move, I could have killed you easily. I would have felt no remorse, not even have blinked an eye! I would have-"

"_I. Don't. Care._" Tatsuki emphasized each word with a shake of Ichigo's head. "I don't! Neither does anyone here, nor any one of those Vizards! And I know Orihime sure as hell doesn't!" She slammed her hand on the ground alongside his fist. "_Listen to me! _We care about you! What happened three days ago was bloody and gruesome, but Ichigo, you're hurting people more now than you ever could have in that form."

Quietly, but with enough resolve to be heard Sado said, "Ichigo, the only one who's blaming you for what happened is you."

Those were the first words to break through the stubborn barrier Ichigo had thrown up in the days since the battle. The anger and pain that had fueled him began to die as he considered Chad and Tatsuki's words.

"He's right," Tatsuki said, seeing an opening in Ichigo's defenses. "If you'd been listening, you wouldn't have heard any of us holding that incident against you. No one's mad at you about that. The only reason we're pissed is because of your stupid attitude."

"And because you made Inoue-san cry," Ishida added with a mild but critical glare.

Ichigo hung his head in shame. "I know," he said quietly. "I'd rather be ripping out my insides than thinking about that. But I'm just sick of her being put through all of this training and putting up with me-"

"Put up with you?" Rukia raised her brow in disbelief. "Granted, I feel like I do that sometimes, but Orihime certainly does _not _put up with you, you imbecile."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Geez, Ichigo, do you think she started dating you out of pity or something?"

"Well, no," he admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I know she likes me, but…"

"_Likes _you?" Rukia had her hands on her hips, her expression still incredulous at his current display of denseness. "Ichigo, she loves you immensely. And you better act surprised when she tells you because it was not my place to tell you that."

Ichigo wasn't concerned at the moment whether or not Rukia had any right to reveal that to him. He was far more preoccupied with what she had actually said. _Inoue loves me? _Like he had told Tatsuki, he was aware that she liked him and had to be at least a little attracted to him, but he had never even considered that she loved him. He loved her, but he didn't think that love was reciprocated. At best, it was something he had thought he would have to earn.

"When did she-"

"Before you fell head over heels for her," Rukia said with a smirk.

So not only had he somehow won her heart, he had won it even before she had stolen his. He glanced up at Rukia in slight awe and asked, "Before the training started?"

She nodded.

"Before the battle on the dome in Hueco Mundo?"

Another nod.

His eyes widened. "Before she was kidnapped?"

"Yes, sometime before then I believe."

Keigo muttered under his breath, "Lucky bastard." Though his comment was said somewhat jokingly, he was quite serious when he continued in a louder voice, "Ichigo, you can't give up Inoue because you're afraid. You're dumber than dirt if you do that."

"She loves you a lot," Mizuiro added quietly. "Imagine how she's feeling right now."

A lot of things made more sense about Orihime that didn't before. With this new bit of knowledge in mind, Ichigo reflected on events in Hueco Mundo and began to understand them in an entirely different light. She was in love with him when she let herself be taken to Hueco Mundo. She loved him when he fought and fell and rose up again in battles that she bore witness to. She loved him still when he took on that Hollow form, and she cried for him when he was hurt and confused, not just as a concerned friend but as a worried lover.

"Oh my God," Ichigo murmured as he realized how much he had hurt her and how much she was really suffering. "I have to…" He wanted to see her, but there was still that nagging fear that she would be dragged down with him while trying to understand and conquer his Hollow form. "But…"

"Kurosaki." Ishida pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose, his expression placid but serious. "I'm assuming you're still having reservations about your Hollow form being so connected with Inoue-san. I understand your concern." He sighed lightly, his frown turning pensive. "I'm not thrilled with the idea either. However, you can't let this interfere with your relationship. It cannot define it or set the boundaries. I may not be an expert on relationships, but I'm confident that if you do that, you'll tear the relationship apart."

Ichigo had said that, too, the day before the battle. He had forgotten his own words. He clenched his fist, angry at himself for being a hypocrite and for hurting Orihime as badly as he did. Tatsuki let go of his hair as he shakily stood back up on his legs. "I have to go and apologize," he said, his head leaning forward. "I'll beg, grovel, whatever I have to do. I just have to try."

"That won't be necessary." Hitsugaya shook his head slightly as he walked towards the group, flanked by Hinamori and Matsumoto. Following behind him was Orihime, whose face was still slightly botchy and red from crying earlier.

Tatsuki was surprised to see them, judging from her expression. "I thought you were taking her home."

"We opted for misou soup at a diner while you guys did your thing." Rangiku raised a brow at Ichigo expectantly. "Which I think you have."

Hitsugaya and the others stepped to the side, leaving a clear path between Ichigo and Orihime. Hinamori and Rangiku gave each of Orihime's shoulders a squeeze before gently nudging her in Ichigo's direction.

His heart felt like it had sunk to his stomach as he watched Orihime cautiously approach him. It was a far cry from the way she had run towards him not even an hour earlier, so relieved and happy to see him.

"Inoue," Ichigo said softly. There was so much he wanted to say, but he knew what he had to start with. "I – I'm so sorry. I should never have yelled at you like that." He had never _wanted _to, but his state of mind had gotten the better of him, and Orihime had borne the brunt of it. "I just wanted to protect you, even if it meant staying away from me."

She looked up at him, her eyes softening with hurt; not because he was hurting her but because of how he was demeaning himself. There was a few feet in between them, but it felt more like light-years.

"…However, I can't keep doing that." He hunched his shoulders, keeping his gaze level with hers. "It's running away. If I am a danger to you, then I need to make it so I'm not. I'll work fifteen times as hard if I have to, but I'll find a way so that form can be controlled, I swear."

To Ichigo's relief, Orihime reached out her hand towards him. He clasped her hand in his hands and squeezed. "I mean it. I won't screw up again."

She smiled sadly and finally said, "You're too hard on yourself."

He wasn't sure what it was about her words, but they made him cave in to the urges he'd been fighting for days and pull her into a tight embrace. He breathed in her scent, letting it permeate his nostrils as he rested his cheek against her hair. "Of all the things you could say to me after what I did, and you say I'm too hard on myself."

"But you are," Orihime said innocently, blinking as she leaned her head against his chest.

"Maybe. Probably." He didn't care at the moment; he was far too engrossed with the feeling of having Orihime in his arms and the immense relief and pleasure it brought him. It was like a heroin addict taking a hit of the drug after going weeks without it, except Ichigo's "drug" of choice was far healthier and wonderful than some stupid powder.

"Definitely." Orihime wrapped her arms around his back, smiling contentedly. "We'll have to work on it."

"We have a lot to work on," Ichigo murmured. "Inoue, I know I've been handling things like an idiot…"

"To put it lightly," Tatsuki remarked with a scowl.

Ichigo aimed a glare at her, but let her comment stand as he continued, "But I think I'm somewhat justified in being worried about your part in this. I'm just afraid of where it's all going." He held Orihime away from him so he could look her straight in the eyes. "Yet somehow we need to keep it a separate issue from our relationship. I'm just not sure how to do that."

"Like you said," Orihime said with a smile, "we have a lot to work on. I don't get what's going on either, but I feel like it all happened for a reason." She cocked her head pensively to the side. "Or who knows. Maybe it was just a random incident and it just happened to happen to us, of all people. We'll figure it out."

Ichigo nodded, but then he looked up and away from Orihime when he spotted Ishida suddenly deep in thought. "Oi, Ishida. What is it?"

The Quincy tapped his finger against his cheek. "I wonder if maybe we're going about this all wrong."

"Going about what?"

Ishida shook his head. "I'll explain later. I need some time to think it over, but I may be onto something."

"Onto _what_?" Ichigo pressed, irritated with Uryuu's evasiveness.

Ishida was saved from answering when Renji's communicator began to ring. The vice-captain frowned when he pulled it out and saw who was calling. "It's Urahara."

Everyone turned their attention to Renji as he flipped open the phone and answered, "Yo."

After a minute of silence, Renji nodded and said, "Understood. We'll be there." He paused, and then suddenly smiled. "Us as in, Ichigo included. Yeah, he returned your cloak. I have it." His smile turned into a smirk as he nodded along with whatever Urahara was saying. "I agree entirely. We should have just beaten the crap out of him earlier."

"It's certainly the last time I take the diplomatic route," Rukia muttered under her breath. "It's straight physical violence from here on out."

Ichigo glared at both of them, but only half-heartedly. They had a point, he had to admit, and for the time being, he deserved being verbally stomped on.

"Right." Renji said his good-bye and hung up. "Urahara wants us all to meet at his shop. Says he wanted to discuss a couple things, and apparently there's something he needs Inoue and Ichigo's help with." He quickly added, "And he said that it has nothing to do with Hollow powers or whatnot. It's something totally separate."

Ichigo and Orihime both raised their brows. "What the heck?" the former asked.

"Ask him." Renji jabbed a thumb in the direction of the shop. "We'll find out when we get there."

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said, "I imagine what he wants to discuss is relatively important."

As everyone began to turn and walk, Ichigo reached his hand down and intertwined his fingers with Orihime's. He felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders and peace return to his soul. As he started to walk with Orihime towards Urahara's store, he heard his Hollow purr contentedly (or maybe it was a soft growl). He nearly made some sarcastic remark, but he decided to let his Hollow be. The asshole had been right all along, as much as Ichigo hated to admit it.

Rukia craned her head over her shoulder and smiled when she saw them walking hand in hand. "Hey, Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

She paused, letting the suspense hang for a few seconds before breaking out into a grin and saying, "Welcome back."

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! The angst is over for the time being. Back to the regularly scheduled lame attempts at humor and plot development!

Now, before you shuffle off, here's a fun (and perhaps scary) fact: **tentatively **(since it's always subject to change, though I doubt it would change a whole lot) in terms of number of chapters, this chapter marks the halfway point of TBBU. Yep. That means we've got about another 18ish chapters to go before the end. Scary, huh?

With that to keep you up at night, R&R and I hope everyone enjoys their holidays, if I don't update before then :)


	19. Chapter 19

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had fun celebrating it. To ring in the new year, here's the next chapter of TBBU. Woo-hoo, we're officially in the second half of the story and we broke 300 reviews! You people are amazing, and oodles of love and hugs to **Sleeplessxb3eauty, Aline, cmcwiki, himelove22, Lady Nazo, Rachel, morbidly-funny, uzamaki898, ombre nocturne, Racholasj, Somerlia, nypsy, p17oyDONju9n, b4ndg33k, T-Biggz, songsparrw1, Idztec, TwistedVines, chuchootrain, **and **war90 **and to everyone who favorited and alerted. Double love, glomps and thanks to Star (aka **le_etoile **on here) and **CrystalDawn **for beta-reading this.

As usual, I'll shut up here and just let you read.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 19**

_Nel's decision_

Keigo let loose a huge yawn as he stretched his arms to the sky. His back made an audible crack, and he winced at the sound more than the feeling. "That feels better though," he murmured as he relaxed his posture and continued walking alongside Mizuiro.

"I'm glad you managed to make your back crack, Asano-san," Mizuiro said in a monotone voice as he texted away on his cell phone.

"Still in the formal, I see," Keigo said with a dramatic sigh. "But I suppose things are back to normal. At least it seems like they are."

Mizuiro cast a glance over his shoulder at the couple walking a few paces behind them. "That's why," he murmured.

Keigo nodded in agreement as he joined Mizuiro. The heavy atmosphere that had surrounded Ichigo for the past few days was finally gone, and the unbearable unhappiness he had been carrying around was replaced with assurance and peace. He could see it in the way Ichigo smiled softly at something Orihime was talking about, and he could see it reflected in Orihime's own bright smile and the way she flushed when Ichigo began chuckling at her.

Suddenly, Ichigo turned his head towards his friends. "Oi. Why are you staring?"

"Reassurance" was Mizuiro's cryptic answer before he turned back to his phone.

Keigo scratched his head and shrugged at Ichigo. "Just making sure everything's good. You really had us worried there."

"And if you do it again," Tatsuki said from her spot next to Orihime, "I will do worse." Her crossed arms and her warning glare were fine indicators that she was not kidding about her threat.

"Guys," Orihime protested softly.

"I think Ichigo is well aware of the consequences," Rukia said. "Let's just put the past few days behind us and see what Urahara wants."

"We're almost there," Hitsugaya noted with a nod of his head towards the shop, which was just on the corner ahead.

However, before they got much closer to Urahara's shop, Momo stopped in her tracks and said, "Wait, everyone."

The group paused and turned towards the small vice-captain. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her as she leaned her head forward. "There's one last thing I want to resolve before we go into the store." Her gaze lifted until it met Ichigo's. "About what I said after the battle…"

Ichigo shook his head. "Hey, it's fine-"

"No it's not." Momo's lips tightened into a thin line of determination. She sighed softly and continued, "It was not fine. Ichigo-chan, a lot of what I had to say was already said, but I do owe you an apology. I called you a monster because I judged you based on your appearance and _how _you acted. I failed to take into consideration what was underneath the mask and _why _you acted."

She bowed to him, her head hung in apology. "You saved my life and everyone else's, and you protected Orihime-chan. Please forgive me for judging you so harshly."

A few of them, including Ichigo, turned towards Hitsugaya expectantly, waiting for a reaction from him. Instead, he ignored them and continued to keep his stare focused on Hinamori. His expression said nothing of his thoughts, or whether or not he was upset with her apology. With no clear answer from him, everyone else then turned to Ichigo, waiting to see what he would say.

Orihime gave Ichigo's hand a gentle squeeze, and he returned the gesture, thankful for her support. "It's kind of hard for me to say you're forgiven since I didn't hold anything against you in the first place," Ichigo said. "But I accept your apology."

Momo straightened up, this time with a smile on her face. "Thank you, Ichigo-chan. No hard feelings?"

"Like I said, there weren't any to begin with," he said with a shrug.

Rangiku clapped her hands together to gather everyone's attention. "All right. If all the apologies are said and done with, we better get moving."

"I hope Urahara doesn't believe in the 'eye for an eye' policy," Mizuiro said to Ichigo as they began to walk towards the shop again. "For your sake."

"Eh? Why?" Ichigo asked. "I just took his cloak."

"In parts of the Middle East, stealing is punishable by chopping off someone's hand," Orihime explained. "So it'd just be like in those old Arabian movies where the shopkeeper takes out a huge scimitar and swings down and WHAM!" She demonstrated her free hand, pretending to hold a scimitar and swinging it down through the air with significant force. "The thief's hand rolls away and there's, uh, lots of blood."

Ichigo blinked, unsure as to what he should be more disturbed by: the image of him losing his hand or the fact that his girlfriend didn't seem to be taking that into consideration. "Uh…" He looked down at his free hand forlornly, as if it really was about to be chopped off.

"D – Don't worry!" Orihime flailed a bit, worried that she might have come across as inconsiderate. "Even if he does, I can just reject it and you'd have your hand back!"

"Good point, but I think I'd rather not lose it to begin with."

"Maybe he'll just hang you upside down by your toes instead," Keigo suggested.

"Or maybe it'll be Chinese water torture," Tatsuki said.

Hitsugaya slapped his forehead as more suggestions as to Ichigo's punishment were made, ranging from castration (which Rangiku pointed out would be cruel since that would also be punishing Orihime, and her remark made the aforementioned girl blush furiously) to flaying. "Am I the only one disturbed by this conversation?"

"I am," Ichigo muttered darkly.

Rangiku grinned at her captain. "We're just joking, taichou. You need a more morbid sense of humor."

"Shut up, Matsumoto."

* * *

Urahara and the Shouten gang were waiting for them at the bottom of the shop, along with the Vizards, to Ichigo's chagrin.

"Welcome back, Kurosaki-san," Urahara said in a sing-song voice. "I trust you have my cloak?"

"I got it," Renji said. The cloak was draped over his arm. "It's in tact from what I can tell." He walked over to Urahara and handed him the cloak.

"Thank you, Abarai-san." Urahara dusted off the cloak with his hand. He then lifted a stern gaze to Ichigo, accented by the shadow of his hat and making it more frightening. "I trust you won't make it a habit to keep stealing from me, Kurosaki-san."

The threat was inherent in his tone and hidden beneath his words. Ichigo shook his head, his gaze cast downward. "No. I'm really sorry about this, Urahara-san."

"Very well." Urahara tucked the cloak under his arm. "Then I'll let it slide this time."

"But he stole from us!" Jinta protested. "You oughta kick his ass or something!"

"Someone already did that for us," Yoruichi said. "I can see the beginnings of a bruise," she added, pointing to Ichigo's cheek.

Ichigo rubbed his aching cheek. "Yeah. Tatsuki did it for you."

The martial artist smirked triumphantly, even as Ichigo shot her a mild glare.

"And a very thorough job she did," Urahara said. "But we are not here to talk about how much Kurosaki-san deserves a beating-"

"You missed that discussion," Tatsuki said with a chuckle, earning her an even sharper glare from Ichigo.

"-but instead to help out someone. Someone I believe Kurosaki-san and Inoue-san are very familiar with, which is why I asked them to come." Urahara stepped to the side. Both Ichigo and Orihime's eyes widened when, standing a few yards behind Urahara, was a familiar little Arrancar.

"Nel?"

"Itsygo!" Nel, who was standing somewhat behind a large rock, walked out into the open. Her smile widened as she walked over to her friends. "Owahime!"

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

"We wanted to thee yoo, and-"

"Wait." Ichigo held up a hand to silence her for a moment. "We?"

Nel frowned and turned around. She put her chubby hands on her hips and said, "Come on yoo guys! Come out! Yoo know Itsygo and his fwiends!"

Immediately two heads popped out from behind the rock Nel had been hiding behind. When she smiled, they leapt out and stood in dramatic poses. "We have returned! The biggest two-thirds of the Desert Brothers!"

"Dondochakka and Pesshe are here too!" Nel said with a giggle.

Pesshe turned his head towards the rock. "And we're here with our newest member-"

"I am _not,_" an irritated and familiar voice snapped from behind the rock, "the fourth member of your stupid little group."

"Grimmjow," Ichigo said in surprise.

"Way to be observant, Kurosaki. You should get a medal," Grimmjow replied sarcastically. Most likely he was wearing his usual condescending smirk, but it was impossible to tell with him still sitting behind the rock.

"If I recall," Nel said, her expression going deadpan, "yoo're the one who got his butt kicked by the 'obthervant' one."

That remark finally made Grimmjow stand up abruptly from his spot and glare at Nel. "What the fuck? It wasn't like I asked for it!"

"_Yoo _were the one thupid enough to make a deal so yoo could fight Itsygo in that form!" She rolled her eyes. "Yoo got yoor fight. Yoo just failed to conthider that Itsygo managed to beat thomeone thwonger than yoo and therefore-"

"You little shit," Grimmjow growled. "Come over here and say that to my face."

Nel lifted her brow. "I will in about five minutes, if yoo want."

While Grimmjow tried to process what exactly she meant by that, Nel turned around and sighed. "He's impothible, Itsygo. I had to dwag him here-"

"I didn't want to fucking come!"

"-and then he gets that attitude with me. It's disheartening."

Orihime smiled and bent down next to Nel. "It's okay," she said as she petted her hair. "But why did you all come here?"

"Nel explained her condition to me," Urahara explained as he twirled his cane in his hand. "And I decided that it would be in our interest to help her. We have a common problem."

"What problem?" Ichigo asked.

"Tousen and Ichimaru, dumbass," Grimmjow said, though his smirk was replaced with a pensive frown. "We don't want them in Hueco Mundo."

"And we want them in jail," Urahara said, "which requires removing them from Hueco Mundo. A common enemy and a common goal make common allies. Nel and Grimmjow agreed to help us with Tousen and Ichimaru in exchange for aiding Nel and perhaps working out some kind of arrangement with the shinigami."

"What kind of arrangement?" Hitsugaya asked, glancing back and forth between Nel and Grimmjow.

"We just want peace," Nel said with a sad frown. "The west of us Awancarr don't want to meddle with the shinigami. I don't want those two dwagging more Awancar into battle and getting them killed."

Hitsugaya put a hand to his chin, furrowing his brow in concentration. "That's not something I can decide on my own, but I think the other captains would be willing to consider, especially if you help us capture Ichimaru and Tousen. It'll certainly make the other captains more sympathetic."

"Then we'll help!" Nel waved her arms enthusiastically. "Nel will help!"

"How?" Grimmjow asked with a sneer. "By drooling on them?"

Nel stuck her tongue out at him. "Yoo'll see. Nel can do more than drool." She turned to Urahara, her gaze expectant. "Yoo can help, wight?"

"I will certainly try." He kneeled in front of her and tapped his cane lightly against the crack in her mask. "I think this is the source of your problem."

That was what tipped Ichigo and Orihime off as to what Nel's "problem" was. "Are you sure about this?" Orihime asked Nel with a concerned frown.

"I want to help." She interlaced her little fingers together as she stared down at them thoughtfully. "I barewy can as I am now, and I don't want to sthay this way fowever."

Although Ichigo and Orihime nodded in understanding, several of the others were completely lost as to what Nel was referring to. Grimmjow certainly was bemused. His usual smirk was replaced with a glower; he didn't like being left in the dark. "The hell, Nel?"

"Yoo'll see," she said to him again, though sans the raspberry this time. She rubbed a hand over the crack in her Hollow mask. "This is what's doing it?" she asked Urahara.

"I believe so. There's only one way of finding out."

"Wight. I should try doing what I did before?"

"That's my suggestion."

"Okay." Nel began to back away, her head leaning forward as she thought back to that battle almost two months ago, when Ichigo had been in trouble and was facing a painful death. It had all been a big blur to her. One moment Ichigo was on the ground, his arm breaking as Nnoitora beat on him, and the next she was screaming and then…

_I have to remember how I did it, _she thought as she closed her eyes. Everything that she had done had been out of desperation and fear. She had been desperate to save the young man who had risked his life for her, and afraid that he would die in front of her. The scene from that day became vividly clear as the yells and pleas echoed in her mind. She could practically hear Ichigo's arm snap as Nnoitora stepped on it, and she could still see the panic in Orihime's eyes.

"_Itsygo…" _She had repeated his name, over and over again like a mantra. She had just been so afraid, and she didn't know what to do to help him. _"Itsygo…" _Over and over again…

Then, just like that day, she suddenly felt something swell within her. Perhaps it was her reiatsu, she didn't know. Whatever it was, it rose and swelled until it burst from her. Nel gasped slightly as the dust around her picked up and her reiatsu shook the air around her as it skyrocketed. The transformation was weird: it wasn't painful, but just disconcerting and it made her limbs tingle. Fortunately, it didn't take long until everything settled down and the world around her stopped shaking.

Slowly, Neliel opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was a lot farther up from the ground than before. She leaned her head forward, and her long green hair fell in front of her and hung by her face. She held out her hands in front of her, flexing her long graceful fingers that were no longer chubby. "Ah, I'm back."

The dust around her cleared, and she lifted her head. She was met with several wide-eyed stares and slacked jaws. Even the stalwart Hitsugaya seemed taken aback as he repeatedly blinked his eyes, making sure he was seeing her correctly.

"Impressive," Urahara murmured to himself. He whipped out his fan and held it in front of his mouth. "Yes, very much so."

"Nel-sama!"

She turned and laughed as Dondochakka and Pesshe leapt at her in joy. She did her best to hug them at once as they tackled her and hugged her. "You're back!" they screamed as they bawled in happiness.

"Oh come now, you two," she chided lightly. The smile never left her face as she sat back up, with her old Fraccion sitting on either side of her. "It's not like I haven't been with you the entire time!"

"We – We know," Dondochakka said sheepishly. "But it wasn't quite the same. It's good to see you like this again, dontcha know?"

She patted his head gently and gave him a nod. "I know. I'm sorry about everything."

"What the…"

Nel's gaze spun towards Grimmjow, who was the most shocked out of everyone. With a sheepish smile she stood up, clasping her hands behind her back, doing her best to look innocent. It wasn't like he looked angry or anything, but with Grimmjow that could change quickly. "Ah, Grimmjow, I apologize about this. I would have liked to have told you but… I don't think you would have believed me."

His eye twitched, but his slacked jaw and wide eyes remained unchanged as he continued to stare, unsure of what to make of this. Finally, after a tense moment, he blurted, "What the _fuck _Nel?"

"Would you have?" she countered, crossing her arms as his expression turned livid.

He snarled, but he seemed resigned to her logic as he glanced away. "How does something like this even happen?" He gestured to her. "I'd never even seen a fucking Hollow kid before you."

"Well that's just it, isn't it?" Neliel said. "That fact didn't stop and make you think?" She shrugged off her question as she smiled and waved her hand. "But it's no matter. This is what I really look like. Nnoitora broke my mask here years ago," She pointed to the crack in her Hollow mask. "and I turned into a child. I temporarily reverted back into this form when Ichigo was in Hueco Mundo, but I couldn't retain it."

"And that's why Neliel-san came to me for help," Urahara said. "I believe it's because your reiatsu keeps leaking from that crack. That leads me to why I also requested for Inoue-san to be here." The shopkeeper glanced over at Orihime. "Would you repair that crack for Neliel-san?"

"Oh, sure." Orihime smiled and summoned Ayame and Shun-o.

"But a warning to you, Neliel-san." Urahara aimed a stern glance in the Arrancar's direction. "If my hypothesis is correct, once Inoue-san repairs that crack you won't be able to revert back to your child form. This will be a permanent transition. It's your choice."

Nel had had her doubts about returning to her adult form permanently. She loved being a child in some ways and all the fun it brought. The Desert Brothers wouldn't be quite the same with her as an adult; it'd feel more like old times, when she was an Espada. A part of her didn't want things to be like that again. However, the current situation demanded that she be an adult, and who knew? Perhaps things would change for the better. She'd certainly be more adept at helping Ichigo and his friends, along with keeping Grimmjow in line.

"I'm sure," she said with a nod.

Orihime formed the Soten Kisshun over Nel's crack and her brow creased in concentration as she began to reject the damage Nnoitora had wrought. Nel stood still as her eyes looked up, watching what she could of the repair. Slowly, her mask began to reform where it had been broken. The pieces that had long been lost returned and helped to fill in the crack. The one tooth in her mask came back as the shield did its work, and within minutes the crack was gone and her mask was restored to its original form.

Her old Fraccion broke out into cheers as Orihime called back her Rikka, leaving Neliel with a refurbished mask. The Arrancar gently touched where the crack had once been, almost surprised to feel nothing but smooth bone. "It's fixed."

"Your reiatsu seems normal now," Yoruichi noted. "I think it worked."

"Thank you very much," Nel said, bowing to Urahara and Orihime.

From behind her, Grimmjow slowly approached, his expression a little put off as he slowly neared her. Neliel turned and tilted her head at him. "I don't bite."

"It's just so damn weird," he muttered. "You're supposed to be small and annoying."

"Well…" Nel put a finger to her lips in thought. "I'm not small anymore, no, but I'm sure I'll still wind up annoying you. And please don't worry. Just because I look different doesn't mean I am on the inside. I'm still your little shit."

"Aren't you two cute?" Shinji said with a grin. "Do we have another couple to make fun of?"

"WHAT?" Grimmjow roared. "Who the _fuck _are you calling a couple?"

"Yer certainly actin' like one," the Vizard said with a roll of his eyes. "Yeesh, don't act so offended." He motioned to his comrades and began to head towards the exit. He stopped next to Ichigo, peering over at the younger Vizard with narrowed eyes.

Ichigo tensed and said, "If you're gonna hit me, all I ask is that you don't touch my head. I'm already losing brain cells."

"You lost enough a long time ago," Shinji said, "but I'm not gonna beat you up. Yet. You and Orihime-chan get a few days to recuperate, then we're back in training and no holds barred. That's when we'll kick yer ass. Until then, you better spoil Orihime-chan rotten for the shit ya pulled."

He waved a good-bye to everyone, followed by his friends as they began to climb up the ladder leading out of the basement.

"We should get back," Hitsugaya said. "It's been a trying day. I have to contact Soul Society as well and talk about your offer of help," he added with a glance at the Arrancar. "We'll certainly discuss it."

Orihime nudged Ichigo with her elbow. "Would you like to come over for a little while, Kurosaki-kun?"

Before Ichigo could answer, Rukia piped up, "Tonight might not work."

Ichigo glared at the tiny shinigami. "Since when the hell did you arrange my plans?"

"Since you started acting like an idiot. It's not that I don't want you to go over," she said with a sigh, "it's just that I told your father we'd be back for dinner. You owe your family an explanation, Ichigo. They've been worried as well."

"Go then," Orihime said with a smile. "We'll meet up tomorrow. I don't want your family to worry any longer."

"Thanks." Ichigo bent down and kissed her forehead. "Tomorrow I'll spoil you, okay?"

She flushed. "I think he was just kidding. It's not necessary."

"Yes it is." He gave her another kiss, this time on the lips. He almost considered deepening it, but remembering that they weren't alone, he pulled back. "It'll be fine. Come on, I'll walk you home."

"We're more than capable of doing that, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya reminded him.

Ignoring the captain, Ichigo took Orihime's hand and began to walk with her out of the training grounds. He paused suddenly, and he glanced over his shoulder at Nel and Grimmjow. "See you later, guys."

Grimmjow snorted as Neliel waved a good-bye.

"I'm glad to see he listens to me," Hitsugaya said darkly.

"He _wants _to walk her home, taichou," Rangiku said. "It's not a matter of practicality." She patted him on the head, further fueling his irritation. "You have a lot to learn about relationships."

"I'm not interested in them," he said as he walked towards the hatch with Rangiku. "I have much-" He came to a stop when he realized they were short one shinigami. His eyes scanned the area until they found Momo, who was staring thoughtfully at Grimmjow and Neliel. "Hinamori, we're leaving."

She turned and smiled at him. "I know. I actually have something I need to discuss here. I'll catch up with you, I promise."

"You sure?" Rangiku asked with a frown.

"Yes, really." She tried waving off their concern. "I'll be back soon. It's just something I want cleared up."

She and Hitsugaya stared at each other for a long moment. Nothing was said between the two childhood friends, but there was some kind of understanding reached. Hitsugaya nodded and turned away. "Let's go, Matsumoto."

Reluctantly, Rangiku followed her captain out of the basement. The others trailed behind them, bidding farewell to those still in the basement before they climbed the ladder.

As people began leaving the basement, Momo turned to the Arrancar and said, "Um, Neliel and Grimmjow, right? And Dondochakka and Pesshe?"

"Yes?" Nel said.

"Do you mind if I talk with you for a bit?" She folded her hands in front of her nervously, but her voice was resolute. "There's just something I need to know, and I believe the four of you can help me with it."

Grimmjow opened his mouth, likely to make some kind of smart remark. Nel quickly backhanded him and silenced him. "If you'd like. What do you want to talk to us about?"

She walked up to them, her steps even despite her fidgeting. Lifting her head, she said, "It's about Aizen."

Urahara and Yoruichi raised their brows in surprise. "Hinamori-san," the shopkeeper said.

"Let's leave them alone," Yoruichi said. "This is private. We'll be upstairs if you need us."

As the former second division captain herded Urahara, Tessai and the kids out of the basement, Momo exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Right. Aizen. I'd like to talk to you about him, if you don't mind."

Grimmjow and Neliel exchanged a cautious, hesitant glance, unsure as to where she was going with this. The latter nodded and said, "What about him?"

"Where to start…" Momo chewed on her lip for half a minute in thought before beginning, "You see, he was my captain before he left Soul Society. I thought – well, I still do in some ways – very highly of him. It's been hard for me to accept what he did and who he really was."

"I see." Nel bent down until she was eye to eye with Momo. "I do not know what Aizen was like when he pretended to be your captain, but I assure you that's not who he really was."

"Aizen was a good leader," Pesshe said, "but there wasn't really any respect for him among the Arrancar. We followed him purely out of fear and in hopes that he would better our lives."

"Everyone thought he would give our lives meaning, to give us a direction, dontcha know?" Dondochakka added.

"He was terribly powerful. Everyone knew that. He could be fair when he wanted to be and he knew a strong Hollow when he saw one," Neliel said with a thoughtful frown. "His ability to see potential was unmatched."

"He was an asshole," Grimmjow butted in suddenly. "Fair, hardly. At least I rarely saw it. He was a scheming, devious bastard."

"Grimmjow-"

"She wants to hear the truth about him," Grimmjow said with a wave at the shinigami, "then she's gonna hear it like it is."

"It's fine," Momo said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I want to hear the truth. Please, I need to know."

He looked down at her and with his usual scowl continued, "Nel's right. Whatever Aizen was when he was your captain was an act. The bastard had everyone in Las Noches fooled. You and the other shinigami were no different." With a snort, he lifted up his left arm. "See this? This was cut off by that Tousen bastard and he let him do it, just because he could. When I stood up another time to confront Kurosaki and his friends, he brought me to my knees with his reiatsu. Even though he fucking knew I would confront them anyway. He did just because he wanted to exert his power. That's what he always goddamn did: remind everyone he was in charge."

Nel offered Momo a consoling but sad smile. "I'm afraid the Aizen we knew was a cruel, merciless man. I'm sorry he tricked you."

Momo stared at Grimmjow's left arm, as if she was picturing it when it was missing. With a frown, she said, "You know what? I could picture him doing that. The Aizen that tried to kill me right before he defected… he would do that. That's the real Aizen, isn't it?"

All Nel and Grimmjow offered were nods, but it was enough for Momo. "Thank you," she said to them. "It's certainly given me a lot to think about."

She started to turn, but from the corner of her eye she spotted someone leaning against a boulder. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she said, "Uryuu-kun?"

The Quincy straightened from his position and turned towards Momo. "I apologize. I wasn't eavesdropping on your conversation."

"Then why the fuck are you here?" Grimmjow asked.

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Ishida walked over towards them. "I came here to ask a favor of you Arrancar."

"We're popular today," Nel murmured with a smile.

"Should I leave?" Momo said to Ishida.

"Feel free to stay," he answered politely, "especially since I stayed during your conversation. It's something I think you should hear anyway."

Nel straightened her back, wincing when it made an audible crack. "It's been too long since I was this tall," she said. "But anyway, what favor do you need from us?"

"This is fucking ridiculous," Grimmjow said with a growl. "We're not Kurosaki's or anyone's goddamn friends. The only help we're offering is to the shinigami, and that's to kick Tousen and Ichimaru out of Hueco Mundo. That's it."

Ishida raised an eyebrow, but merely said, "I see. However, I'm not asking for your assistance because I assume you're friends with him. I could care less about your relationship with him." He crossed his arms and continued, "I am asking for your help because I need your expertise."

"Expertise?" Nel said.

Ishida's eyes briefly rested on the prominent hole in Grimmjow's chest. "I have an idea as to how to help Kurosaki with his Hollow, but I need some information first. The best source is from a Hollow, and you four fit the bill. So I need your expertise on Hollows. Are you willing to help?"

"Sure!" Nel said before Grimmjow could protest. "Just let us know what we need to do and we'll do it!"

"Aw hell," Grimmjow muttered under his breath. "The damn shit I get dragged into." He sighed, but it was a sigh of resignation. "Fine. What the fuck do you want us to do?"

* * *

**A/N: **I have a predilection for torturing Grimmjow, it seems. Poor bastard. Anyway, sorry for the lack of IchiHime in this chapter. I know there are some post-angst bucket issues and whatnot to be resolved, but those will be dealt with in the next two chapters. I wanted to get some more development for Nel and Grimmjow and take a break from the drama XD;

As a side note, I am actually going abroad this coming semester. I'll be going to England. Exciting, yes, but the reason I mention it is because it'll delay the next chapter. Between all the packing and stuff I have to do before I leave (which is on the 10th of this month) and then adjusting to time zone differences and settling in... yeah, can you see why my muse might go boink for a bit? But I'll hopefully update by the end of this month or the beginning of the next. So hang tight and hope you enjoyed!


	20. Chapter 20

I'm back! The move went well, I'm all settled into my dorm and classes have begun. Thanks for all your well wishes, I appreciated them! :D

First of all, I want to apologize to the last five or so people who reviewed but never received a response from me. FanFic has apparently decided to stop sending me notifications so I had no idea I had gotten more reviews until I checked the list just five minutes ago and was surprised to find reviews I didn't recognize. Looks like I'll have to check the page every few days or so from now on just to make sure, since FanFic is wonky. Grrr! But thank you so much to **llloverrr, Cinniminni, b4ndg33k, grimxichixshiroxmomoxorixx, Rachel, Lyhime, p17oyDONju9n, Lady Nazo, racholasj, Dragunity Gemini, ombre nocturne, Aline, zodious, war90, EL0NI, songsparrw1, Somerlia, nypsy, **and **AbaraiArekushisu. **And special thanks to **le etoile** and **CrystalDawn **for beta-reading this and giving me feedback!

On a final note, this chapter pushes the T rating because of certain topics discussed/eluded to and because Shirosaki is... well, he's a naughty boy. Enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter 20**

_Tangible progress_

Over the next three days, Orihime learned something rather interesting about Ichigo. Her scowling, tough punk of a boyfriend was a bigger softie on the inside than even she had known. She saw it in the way he compensated (mostly _over_compensated) for his sullen, hurtful behavior in the days following the battle. He wasn't showy about it, and it wasn't obvious. His methods were subtle, oh so very subtle.

For example, he would always carry her books for her. She protested every time, and every time he just smiled and took them anyway. At lunch he tried whatever she offered without hesitation. He was more violent when any guys looked at her twice (that actually might have been for his own benefit, but Orihime couldn't prove that). He walked her home every day and stayed at her house until she had to practically push him out the door so he wouldn't be late for curfew.

It was hard to complain about the extra attention she was receiving. Like any normal human being, Orihime liked being doted on and showered with affection now and then. However, she also didn't want to see Ichigo keep punishing himself any longer. She knew a part of the reason for his overcompensation was because of their friends. Rukia and Tatsuki had been watching Ichigo like a hawk, making sure he wouldn't fall back into his self-loathing mindset. As a result, he was extra conscious of his actions.

At lunch, three days after she and Ichigo had made up, she decided to put an end to his self-inflicted punishment. She knew he would try to argue, but she was determined to put her foot down. As she climbed the stairs to the rooftop, she flushed at her boldness, even if it was only in her head.

Just as she climbed over the last step, she felt a warm, familiar hand on her back. She instantly smiled as she craned her head back. "Hello, Kurosaki-kun."

"Hey." His hand moved up her back and wrapped around her shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked, nodding to the faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.

"Ah." Orihime lightly placed her fingers on her cheek. "Um, actually, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Ichigo paused on the rooftop, waiting for her to begin. His hand never left her shoulder, but she could feel his arm tense.

"I know you still feel terrible about what happened and how you acted afterwards. But please, you don't need to keep punishing yourself anymore."

He frowned in confusion. "But I'm not. That's what everyone was so angry about. I still feel bad but I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"I – I know!" She fidgeted with her hands. "The past three days, though, you've been doing all these things for me like carrying my books and staying at my house for as long as possible. You even cooked dinner for me yesterday and it was good but… I wish you didn't feel like you had to do all of this."

"It's not punishment." Ichigo frowned at her. "It's not like I hate doing it. I'm just trying to make it up to you."

"But you don't need to do that. You're here and back to normal. That's all I want."

He shook his head. "I don't want to just go back to normal, not entirely. I want to be a better guy for you than I have been. I should be getting _better _at this, not worse."

That's when Orihime realized what Ichigo had been really trying to do: he was trying to prove himself. Not just to their friends but to her as well, to prove that he was a good boyfriend. It was incredibly sweet, but her heart also ached a bit, because she could only imagine how desperately Ichigo wanted to prove himself and make up for what happened.

"Kurosaki-kun." Orihime stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Ichigo's neck. "You don't need to prove anything to me. I lo-" She stopped herself; surely it was too early to drop the "l" word into their relationship? She didn't want to scare him away. "like you the way you are. Even when you fumble a bit. It's cute."

"Cute?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her, even as his arms gripped her waist.

"Yup!" she said.

Without warning, he bent down and kissed her. Orihime made a noise of surprise as his lips pressed against hers. He leaned back for a moment to say, "Thank you."

"For what? Calling you cute?"

Ichigo snorted. "No. Let's keep that between us." He leaned back in until the tip of his nose was pressed against hers. "I meant for taking me as I am. I'm grateful for it."

"Of course. It's why I…" Again, with the "l" word. She swallowed and said instead, "I wouldn't have you any other way."

He wasn't always good with words; Orihime knew this. So she understood why instead of saying anything more, he just closed the distance between them and kissed her. This time she reciprocated and in another display of boldness (she was on a roll today, it seemed) she took the initiative to deepen it instead of waiting for Ichigo. If he was surprised at her forwardness, he made no indication of it as he let her in.

For a full minute, it felt like they had the world to themselves as they stood up there on the rooftop alone. She had missed this, that feeling of being the only people in the world. It hadn't returned completely until now, even after Ichigo had shaken off his self-depreciating attitude three days ago. Sure, they had kissed a bit since then, but the wonderful feeling that always swelled in her chest when they did had been absent. Perhaps they needed to clear up this one misunderstanding before their world became right again. Whatever the reason, Orihime felt relieved and couldn't help the smile on her face when they broke apart. She reached up and ran her fingers through his spiky hair. Then a thought struck her.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah?"

Her smile broke into a grin. "I think you should grow your hair out!"

The expression on Ichigo's face was priceless. He looked like a little boy who had just been told that girls did not, in fact, have cooties as he stared at his girlfriend wide-eyed. "Eh?"

"Not super long," Orihime quickly added. "I mean, not the length you have in your Hollow form or anything. But I think you'd look good with a couple more inches. A – And it would be a great way to um, make progress! Do something new!"

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

Orihime blushed. "Yeah. You don't have to or anything. I'm sorry. I just sort of thought of it now and-"

"I can try." He looked up at his hair, or as best as he could anyway. "It's not like I can't cut it if it doesn't look good." Then he smiled wryly and added, "I suppose you'd have a better idea of what looks good than I do."

The door to the roof opened and out popped Tatsuki, followed by Mizuiro and Keigo. She paused when she saw Orihime blushing and Ichigo smiling. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she asked, "What's going on?"

"Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime spun around. "Kurosaki-kun is going to grow his hair out!"

Keigo nearly spit out the water he had been drinking just as Rukia climbed the stairs and caught what Orihime had said. The tiny shinigami glanced bewilderedly at Ichigo as he looked away. "Really?"

"It's not a big deal. It's just a couple of inches," Ichigo muttered. "Inoue thought it would look good."

"Oh." Her expression turned thoughtful as she examined Ichigo's face. After a moment she nodded and said, "Yes, I agree with her."

"Agree with what?" Renji asked as he stepped onto the roof with Chad.

"Ichigo's going to grow out his hair a bit," Rukia said as Ishida and Shinji climbed onto the roof and shut the door behind them.

Keigo, his expression still shocked, leaned close to Mizuiro's ear and whispered, "Do you realize what's happening here?"

"Ichigo's getting a new hairstyle?" Mizuiro said, unsure as to what Keigo was implying.

"Not just that!" Keigo dramatically clapped his hands against the sides of his face. "This is just the beginning! Next thing you know, she'll be picking out his clothes and feeding him and domesticating him! Do you see where this is going?"

Shinji blinked as he stared at the odd young man. "What the hell are ya goin' on about?"

"ICHIGO IS OFFICIALLY BECOMING A WHIPPED BASTARD!" Keigo bawled and rolled on the ground. "His manly days are over! I grieve for them!"

Mizuiro stood there, unable to form any intelligible response as Tatsuki smacked her forehead. Shinji was doing his best not to burst out laughing as Rukia and Renji exchanged confused glances. Ishida mumbled something that was probably insulting to Keigo in some way, and Chad looked over at Ichigo.

"Oh shut up, Keigo," Ichigo muttered as he took Orihime's hand and led them towards a spot to sit down.

Keigo's hysterics only doubled as he screeched, "Now he's rejecting his own buddy over a girl! THE ATROCITY!"

Shinji and the others followed after Ichigo, wanting to get as far away from Keigo as possible. The elder Vizard plopped down next to Ichigo. "Will he ever shut up?"

"Not for awhile," Ichigo said as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Just drown him out."

"Easy for you to say," Shinji said. "You've had practice." He pulled out some Pocky and began munching on it. "So, you seem to be in better spirits."

"You could say that."

"Oh don't try to brush it off. Ya are." Shinji gave Orihime a congenial wink, obviously attributing her for the reason behind Ichigo's better mood. "Any nut could see it. Since ya are feelin' better, does that mean yer ready for trainin' today?"

Ichigo looked at Orihime. "Are you ready?" he asked, keeping his expression neutral.

Chewing on her sandwich, Orihime nodded and smiled.

"Then that makes two of us," Ichigo said as he turned back to Shinji.

"Excellent. We'll walk there after school lets out and start. We have a bit of catching up to do."

Unbeknownst to the three of them, their friends exchanged determined glances. With a few nods and no words said, they went back to their lunches and Ichigo, Orihime, and Shinji none the wiser of their plans.

* * *

"I'm back!" Shinji shouted as he walked down the stairs into the basement of the warehouse. Ichigo and Orihime followed him, holding hands as they descended the stairs.

"With the happy couple," Rose said with a smile as he looked up from the manga he was reading. "Welcome back."

Hiyori glanced over at them and snorted. "Looks like Baldy's regained his sanity."

Ichigo glared at Hiyori. "I didn't go insane."

"Right, because breaking into _Urahara's _store isn't crazy. Neither is running off into the woods for a whole night with stolen property or getting your ass beaten by a human." Hiyori paused, then added, "Well, the last part's not crazy. Just pathetic."

"Don't even start," Kensei snapped before Ichigo could retaliate.

Shinji took off his cap and tossed it onto one of the rocks. "Let's try to start things on a good note, eh? We have a lot of work to do."

Mashiro turned towards the back of the room, her brow furrowed. "Hey. I sense something funny."

Riza got to her feet, her hand on Hanguro Tonbo. "As do I."

Everyone turned around, and hands went near sword hilts when the air began to shake and thicken. In the back, a large rip appeared in mid-air. "A Garganta?" Orihime said in surprise.

Ichigo stepped in front of her, Zangetsu drawn. "It might be another attack."

Orihime and the Vizards readied themselves as the Garganta opened. For a moment, there was nothing but darkness in the rip. Their eyes squinted to make out two approaching figures, and they got into defensive stances until Ichigo suddenly straightened when he recognized the two Arrancar approaching them.

Nel peered out of the rip, glancing around in curiosity. "I think this is the right place." Her eyes fell on Ichigo and the others, and she smiled. "Yes! There they are!"

Grimmjow walked up next to her, his eyes narrowed. "Oi. We're not here to attack. Unfortunately," he muttered the last part under his breath.

The Vizards relaxed as Nel and Grimmjow hopped out of the Garganta, letting it close behind them. Shinji crossed his arms and said, "Uh, this isn't the best time fer visitin'. We're in the middle of somethin'."

"We're not here to visit," Nel said as she stretched out her arms. "Ishida asked us to come."

Ichigo blinked. "Ishida?"

"Present." Ishida's voice drifted from up the stairs. "We are coming down."

"Who's 'we'?" Love asked.

Instead of answering, Ishida merely climbed down the stairs, flanked by Renji and Rukia. Behind him were also Sado, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro. "I apologize if we are late, Nel-san and Grimmjow. Some people don't handle shunpo well."

Tatsuki glared at him. "Oh don't even start. That was _rough_. You might be used to going high speeds but _I _am not."

"Everyone shut up a sec," Shinji said as he looked at the newcomers. "I don't give a flying shit if someone hurled during shunpo-"

"We didn't!" Keigo said.

"_I said I don't care,_" Shinji said with more emphasis, cutting off Keigo. "Why the hell are any of ya here to begin with?"

Ishida cleared his throat to direction everyone's attention. "This is my doing. I realize up until now none of us have interfered with your training, but I think that's no longer a reasonable idea."

"We need to train," Ichigo said quietly to Ishida. "I know what happened during the battle was bad, but that's why-"

"I don't mean interfere to stop the training," Ishida said. "I meant more as in helping."

"We don't need your help," Hiyori said crossly.

"On the contrary," Ishida said with a stern look. "You do. What exactly do you plan on doing today? Have you any idea of how to proceed?"

When he was met with silence, he nodded. "As I thought."

"That doesn't mean we can't handle it," Shinji said, temper lacing his voice.

"I'm not implying you're incompetent." Ishida pushed his glasses back against his nose as he walked towards Orihime and Ichigo. "Up until a few days ago, I would have been at a loss as to what to do as well. But when Kurosaki finally regained his senses and apologized to Inoue-san, I got an idea."

"Ishida explained it to us," Rukia said. "And we wanted to help as well. I think it was easier for us to stay out because we hadn't seen Ichigo's Hollow form before the battle this week. Now that we know just what exactly we're up against, we want to help."

"Same here," Tatsuki said as she gestured to herself, then Keigo and Mizuiro. "We might not be able to fight on your level or anything, but we can still offer suggestions."

"Hitsugaya-taichou knows about it," Renji said. "But he decided it might be best if he stayed out of it, considering he technically _shouldn't _know about it. If he gets too involved, he's afraid it'll complicate things and he'll have to report it. It's risky enough Rukia and I are involved, but whatever." He shrugged the thought off; he and Rukia had done much riskier things in the past for their friends.

"I get that," Riza said. She jabbed her finger at Nel and Grimmjow. "But why are they here?"

"I asked them to come," Ishida said. "We're dealing with a Hollow. I could not think of anyone with more expertise on the matter than two Hollows themselves. Besides, they also saw the battle and may be able to help."

Orihime's expression brightened. "I think it's a good idea!" she said to Shinji. "The more perspectives the better, right?"

He scratched the side of his head. "Well, I guess yer right. Okay then." He turned to Ishida, his brow raised expectantly. "What's yer bright idea?"

"I think we may be approaching this the wrong way." Ishida gestured to Orihime. "Inoue-san gave me the idea the other day. I said to Kurosaki that he shouldn't let this whole bond business interfere with their relationship, but I think we've all been making that mistake.

"We assume the incident on the dome was something strictly between Kurosaki and Inoue-san. But what if it happened by chance?" He then snorted. "This might sound preposterous, but let's assume for a moment my and Inoue's positions had been switched. If they had been, there's no real reason that this bond couldn't have formed between Kurosaki and myself."

When Ichigo scrunched his nose, Ishida nodded. "Trust me, Kurosaki, I don't like the idea any more than you do. Let's just be thankful it didn't and continue on."

"I think I understand where you are going with this," Hachi said to Ishida. "Perhaps we've handled this matter too inclusively? We should try and leave the personal relationship between these two," He smiled at Ichigo and Orihime, "out of it?"

"Exactly."

"Okay…" Shinji started. "How does that help us?"

"To be honest, that particular bit doesn't for the moment. However, it gets us in the right mindset, and I think it may help later on once we uncover a bit more information. I'm not done, though." Ishida seated himself on top of a boulder as he crossed one leg over the other. "I also wondered if perhaps we should tackle some other questions we had first."

"Meaning?" Shinji asked.

"Understandably, we've been trying to figure out the _what. _What is this bond? It's gotten us nowhere." Ishida raised a finger. "So I propose we tackle another aspect, namely the _how._ How exactly did this bond form? I think it might also help to know the _why, _although…" He spared Ichigo a keen glance. "I think that will be up to you and your Hollow, since it seems to be the only one who knows what happened."

"It won't say anything," Ichigo said with a frown. "I don't know why."

"Your Hollow knows what happened?" Nel asked.

"Yeah. It's the one responsible, really." Ichigo rubbed his temple. "It knows how to go into that form and what we have to do to accomplish it. When I tried asking it, it dodged my questions."

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes in thought. "So your Hollow's the one behind this. I take it your Hollow's like most Hollows?"

"If you mean if it's a self-centered, violent asshole then yeah," Ichigo said with a deep scowl. "Damn prick."

Nel tilted her head to the side. "Every Hollow, yours as well I'm assuming, operates on instinct. Hougyoku Arrancar and Vasto Lorde are somewhat above this, but deep down that's what we all are: instinct. Your Hollow would be acting on its instinct. However, since it's not its own separate entity, I'm not sure what that instinct entails. It can't devour souls."

"Its instinct is to take over my body." Ichigo glanced down at himself, as if expecting a Hollow hole to suddenly appear. "To be king, as it likes to say."

"Then that might be what it's trying to do." Nel frowned in concern. "I'm not sure how the bond will help with that, but I think it might somehow if your Hollow is being secretive about it and is using it to its advantage." She blew out a breath, sending her bangs fluttering into the air briefly. "It must have discovered something that might allow it to take over, and the bond is part of it."

Shinji smacked his forehead. "Goddamn, why didn't we think of that?"

"This is exactly why I asked Neliel-san and Grimmjow for their help." Ishida nodded, as if thinking over something. "I think all we can do in regards to Kurosaki's Hollow is just to wait, for now. If it tries something, then we'll go from there. I think the next thing to do is work on the _how._"

Rukia glanced towards Ichigo. "In other words, you need to remember what you did during the battle to spark that transformation. Can you remember?"

"Not entirely." Ichigo rubbed a hand over his face. "I mean, it's kind of fuzzy. I remember hearing Inoue's thoughts again." That would always freak him out a little, but at the time they had been encouragement. "I don't think I would have been able to have gotten back up if I hadn't."

"You don't remember how exactly the transformation happened?" Ishida asked.

"It's close, like I can almost recall it but…" Ichigo sighed in frustration. "I just can't seem to."

"Maybe we should try walking him through it," Mizuiro suggested. He leaned his head back to remember the exact events that unfolded right before Ichigo transformed. "You were struck down. Do you remember that?"

"All too well."

"Then you fell onto the roof." Mizuiro grimaced for a brief second. "Sorry. It still sends chills down my spine to remember that. Especially when…"

When he seemed to not want to continue, Ichigo asked, "Especially when what?"

"When I screamed," Orihime murmured. "I panicked for a minute. You went down and I couldn't get to you. The Arrancar were blocking me until Grimmjow and Nel-san came."

Ichigo glanced at the Arrancar in surprise. "You helped her?"

Grimmjow jerked his head at Nel. "It was her idea."

"We – well, I was worried about you and I knew Orihime was the only one that could help you, so I convinced Grimmjow to help her out so she could heal you."

Ichigo smiled at her gratefully, taken aback that she and Grimmjow risked their lives for him and Orihime. "Thank you."

"Do you remember anything while this was going on?" Ishida pressed.

"I think I blacked out for a bit," Ichigo said. "I lost a lot of blood and I know I lost consciousness as I fell because I don't even remember hitting the roof. I think I woke up when Inoue was…" He looked to her. "What _were _you doing?"

"After I got past the Arrancar, Ehru blocked my way." Orihime clutched her arm, her posture stiff. "I blocked a few of his blows, but my shield broke and I had no way of getting away from him. I thought I was going to die."

_So that's what happened. _Ichigo wondered if somehow, he had known that Orihime was in danger. Then again, her last thoughts that he had picked up were a dead giveaway. "I picked up some of your thoughts. Fragments. I heard the last one clearly though." He fell silent, deciding not to voice her thought. It was _her _thought, her private thought. It was bad enough that he had heard it; he didn't want to blurt it out for everyone else to hear.

"Thank you" Orihime mouthed, smiling gratefully. She tilted her head. "Do you remember what happened next?"

He could remember what he had thought, when he swore he would make things right. He closed his eyes, struggling to remember as he fought through the haziness that covered his memories. Somehow, his Hollow had been there, standing in the midst of it all, the one Ichigo had needed the most. There was chaos inside of him, and then a strange emptiness.

"I can remember…" he murmured. Somehow, as he pressed a hand against his chest, he could feel that emptiness again and he pushed for it, hoping to see what would happen. He let the emptiness spread, and as he looked up at Orihime, he thought he heard a voice inside his head.

"…_going on? Is he…"_

It was Orihime's thought. A fragment of it, only a piece, but he could hear her. He felt his eyes roll up into the back of his head as darkness seeped in. His hand pressed harder against his chest, and he could feel a hole slowly begin to open up.

Orihime gasped as the others around her backed up, their hands immediately going for their weapons. Rukia, Renji and Chad positioned themselves in front of Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro to shield them. Even Nel and Grimmjow reached for their swords as a Hollow mask began to form over Ichigo's face. His hand pressing against his chest began to enlarge slightly with sharp nails growing from his fingers.

With a choked gasp, Ichigo collapsed to the ground. In an instant, the hole was gone and the mask disappeared. The emptiness inside filled up. "Damn it," Ichigo cursed as his cheek pressed against the cold dirt.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime flew to his side immediately, leaning down so she could see him. "Are you okay?"

The others relaxed, but Shinji couldn't help but grin. "Well hell, he managed a partial transformation. Not bad, kid."

"It's the most progress we've made so far," Hachi noted. "And it's thanks to you," he added, nodding to Ishida.

"Way to go, Ishida," Rukia said with a smirk.

Ishida almost flushed from the praise. "It was nothing. I'm glad we succeeded though."

"Unfortunately," Nel said as she kneeled in front of Ichigo. "you also succeeded in draining his energy. Ichigo, can you stand?"

"Y – Yeah." Ichigo climbed to his feet, Orihime slowly standing up with him, keeping a hand on his back. "I'm fine."

"So," Shinji began as Ichigo rubbed his eyes. "looks like you _can _do the transformation. It doesn't necessarily have to be your Hollow who does it. Looks like it knocks you for a loop, though. We'll work on that."

Ichigo stared at Shinji for a moment, his eyes drooping a bit. He blinked several times, and Shinji eventually frowned in concern. "Yer not okay."

Just as he said it, Ichigo's knees buckled and he fell back. Orihime squeaked as she threw her arms around him to catch him. Nel shot her hands out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him so all of his weight wasn't on Orihime. Within seconds Sado was there, lifting him up off of Orihime.

"I have him," Orihime said as she knelt down, pulling Ichigo with her. With Sado and Nel's help, she managed to slide him to the floor, and let his head rest on her lap. She smiled softly as she gently ran her fingers through his spikes. "I guess he was more tired than we thought."

"That's the second time he's fallen on you," Ishida said dryly, alluding to when they had first returned from Hueco Mundo weeks ago and Ichigo had passed out from exhaustion against Orihime. "This better not become a regular habit."

Shaking her head, Tatsuki took a seat next to Orihime. "Looks like we'll be here a bit."

"You don't have to stay, Tatsuki-chan."

"It's okay. I better, anyway. There's no telling what state he'll be in when he wakes up."

Orihime chuckled and nodded. "True. Besides, I don't think he'll be very talkative," she quietly teased as she glanced down at her sleeping boyfriend.

"Looks like training's over," Riza said. "Our shortest session turned out to be the most productive. That's kind of sad."

"We best be going then," Ishida said. He turned to Tatsuki and Orihime. "Are you sure you two will be all right?"

Tatsuki waved off his concern. "Thanks, but we can handle it."

"We'll be here if they need anything," Hachi assured him.

Nel smiled to herself as she stood up, shaking her head at Ichigo. "Good seeing you again," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "But at least we got to help." With a wave to everyone, she turned towards the back of the room. "Come on, Grimmjow. Let's go home. I'm sure those two will be fretting."

"Finally," he muttered. "Fucking came all this way to say a bit and see Kurosaki pass out."

"Stop complaining," Nel said as she opened a Garganta. "At least we weren't here all day."

Shinji shook his head at the Arrancar as they passed through the Garganta. When the portal shut, he chuckled and said, "They're an interestin' pair."

"They're dysfunctional," Tatsuki muttered. "But I guess they make it work." With a glance over at her friends, she added, "You guys better get going. I'll see you later."

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Keigo asked. "It looks like he'll be out for awhile."

"We'll be fine, really," Orihime said with a smile. "We don't have school tomorrow so even if we get in late it's not a big deal."

"I'll call Hitsugaya-taichou and let him know you'll be late getting home," Renji said as everyone made for the stairs. "Just so he doesn't worry something happened at training. He's on edge enough about all of this."

"He needs to relax," Rukia said as she waved good-bye to Orihime and Tatsuki. "And I'll let Ichigo's family know he'll be late, too."

As the training ground emptied, Orihime and Tatsuki were left alone with the Vizards. The martial artist shifted uncomfortably while Orihime looked up at Shinji and said, "You don't mind us staying here?"

"Nah. Normally I'd say we could just bring him home, but I guess his family doesn't need to worry about him again."

"He'll wake up eventually," Love said with an indifferent shrug.

"I'll make some tea for you two," Hachi said. "Let me know if Ichigo wakes up and I'll make a third cup for him."

"Thank you, Hachi-san!" Orihime's smile brightened until she caught Tatsuki's serious expression, and her smile fell. "Is something wrong?"

"Hm?" Her friend blinked, then shook her head. "No, sorry. I was just thinking. It's been awhile since we sort of hung out like this, just you and me."

"I'm sorry." Orihime glanced down at the ground guiltily. She felt like she had been neglecting Tatsuki.

"It's not your fault." Tatsuki gave her arm a squeeze. "Let's face it: you got kidnapped, then you came back and had all of that schoolwork to catch up on. Training started after your work was done, then you started going out with Ichigo. Then the battle happened and everyone was just so off-kilter from it." Realizing just how much had happened in a short span of time, she shook her head in wonder. "It's been crazy."

"Yeah." Orihime shifted her legs, adjusting Ichigo's head before her one leg fell asleep from the weight. "Still, I feel like I haven't made much of an effort."

"I haven't either," Tatsuki admitted. "I guess I just wanted to give you space. First when you had all your work to catch up on, and then so you had time with Ichigo."

"You didn't have to," Orihime said sadly. "The three of us could have hung out."

"Don't be ridiculous," Tatsuki said with a playful eye roll. "It's a new relationship. All you want to do is just spend as much _alone _time with him as possible. It's fine," she said when Orihime went to protest. "I don't want to sit around watching you two make out anyway."

Orihime could feel the blush creeping up her neck and into her face as she looked away from Tatsuki, mortified. "W – We do other things! I – I don't think we've even made out!"

"Really?" Tatsuki said skeptically.

"Well, okay, maybe once or twice. But that's not bad!" she said when Tatsuki started laughing.

"You two have only been dating a week, and things were crazy for about half of it. You'll do it more in time." She scrunched her nose and added, "I don't even want to think about when you two get a little older and Ichigo starts getting horny because then I won't want to be in the vicinity."

Orihime covered her face with her hands as her face reddened even further. "T-Tatsuki-chan-"

"Knowing my luck, he'll actually be good and I won't want to be in the same _neighborhood._"

"TATSUKI-CHAN!" Orihime screeched in horror, almost knocking Ichigo's head off of her lap.

Tatsuki's shoulders shook in laughter, even as she tried looking disgusted. "It never crossed your mind?"

When Orihime's mouth dropped, she decided to end the teasing before her best friend passed out next. "I'm just kidding," Tatsuki said with a laugh. "Perks of being a best friend: I get to tease you when you get a boyfriend."

"I'm going to tease you when you start dating!" Orihime said, trying to look serious.

"Go ahead. I'll deserve it." Tatsuki then sighed, her grin disappearing. "But it has its downsides. It means I have to share you with him. We'll end up competing for your attention, I imagine. And knowing Ichigo and I, it'll get interesting."

"I don't want you two fighting over me," Orihime said with a worried frown.

"Competing is different than fighting. If anything, you dating him has helped my friendship with him. We'll be fine. I can learn to share, just so long as he does," she said, sticking her tongue out at Ichigo.

Orihime giggled, and Tatsuki laughed with her. For now, both friends were content to just sit together and talk, letting the time pass in conversation as they waited for Ichigo to wake up.

* * *

Orihime didn't get home until almost 10 at night. Ichigo had taken awhile to wake up, and even longer until he was coherent and awake enough to walk home. Though she was still fretting that something might happen to him, Orihime had to wait until morning to hear from him, when he promised he'd call and let her know he was all right.

As she quietly opened the door to her apartment, Orihime peered inside. She found her housemates sprawled out in the living room, with plates and utensils piled next to them as the TV flickered light across the otherwise dark house. She closed the door behind her, locking it before setting her keys down on the table and silently tiptoeing across the room and down the hall to her bedroom.

_I'll let them know what happened tomorrow, _she thought as she entered her bedroom. Right now, she was tired and only wanted to get some sleep. She brushed her teeth and got dressed, donning only a purple spaghetti-strapped shirt and a pair of worn sweats. With a contented sigh she slipped into bed, and soon she was asleep.

For awhile she was visited with nothing but darkness, her mind and imagination quiet for the night. Then, a soft, low growl penetrated the blanketed darkness and she jolted from her sleep. However, she did not wake up in her bed, but in a field. She was still in her pajamas, and she had the overwhelming feeling that she was not dreaming.

_Where am I? _she wondered as she looked around her. There was nothing but grass and flowers all around her, with a deep blue sky overhead. As she sat up, her hair fell forward to frame her face, and she noted that her hairpins were absent. _I can't be dreaming, _she thought as she touched her temples, only to find them barren of her beloved pins. For some reason, the thought that she was defenseless was unsettling.

No, she wasn't a fighter, but her senses were telling her something was near and that she needed her hairpins. She got to her feet, her bare toes curling in the grass below her. She took a step forward and felt something besides grass under her heel. When she lifted her foot, she realized she had stepped on a flower. Not just any flower, but a blue hibiscus, just like the ones on her hairpins.

"Mmm. I like that outfit, Queen."

Now she realized why her senses had been tingling. There was a Hollow present. A very familiar one that somehow was here, wherever here was. Orihime jerked her head to the left, then right, but couldn't see any sign of Ichigo's Hollow. It wasn't until she turned around that she spotted him in the distance, a white figure against a blue and green background.

"Shirosaki-kun," Orihime breathed, her eyes wide in shock.

"Fuck yes. I do like that outfit." Though he was a fair distance away, Orihime could see a blue tongue slide out. She shivered as the Hollow licked its lips. "Wear that for King sometime. We'll both enjoy it," it said with a sly smile.

Orihime wrapped her arms around her, feeling exposed. "What are you doing here?"

Shirosaki glanced about, checking out the area. "Real estate. Nice and wide open. Lots of damn space. Much better than the cramped city the King's got."

_City? _Orihime puckered her brow in confusion as she cautiously began taking a step towards Shirosaki. "Does this have anything to do with you trying to take over Kurosaki-kun's body?"

It aimed a mild glare at her. "What makes you think that?"

"Because that's what you want." She swallowed, pushing down her fear. This was an opportunity. She could find out if Nel was right, or maybe even discover what Shirosaki was hiding.

The Hollow seemed unwilling to answer, but its silence was enough of an answer for Orihime. "It does," she murmured to herself. Then, in a louder voice, "How does you coming here help with that? I can't do anything to help you. And I won't." Her fists tightened against her arms, determined to prevent Shirosaki from doing anything to Ichigo.

In a flash, Shirosaki was gone. Orihime barely had time to blink before it appeared behind her. "But that's where you're wrong," it whispered in her ear as it wrapped its arms around her. "See, that's the beauty of it, Queen. You hardly have to do anything. Just be a good girl and keep the King happy. Not too hard, now is it?"

Goosebumps broke out all over her as Shirosaki brushed its nose against her cheek. Orihime's brain scrambled to think of what to do, or even what to say. "I won't let you," she said between clenched teeth. She grimaced as it chuckled in her ear.

"Ya don't get it." Its knuckles lightly brushed the skin exposed on her stomach. "Best if ya don't. I don't need you getting any ideas. Don't worry. Like I told the King, I ain't gonna hurt ya."

"I'm not worried about me," Orihime said as she squirmed in its hold. "I don't want to see anything happen to Kurosaki-kun."

"Kurosaki-kun," Shirosaki mimicked in a screechy, mocking tone. "I _am _Kurosaki-kun."

"You're a part of him," Orihime corrected him, wriggling harder. "And you know what I mean."

"Queen." Its voice was firm, but not vicious or mocking. "Don't move around too much more. Yer giving me ideas."

Her eyes widened and she gasped as he started cackling.

"Relax. Yer still his, for the time being. And once I'm done, you'll still be with him. Hell, you won't be able to get rid of him." His tongue snaked out, and Orihime inhaled sharply as she felt it run up her neck. "You'll have him, but then I'll be in control and I'll get you to myself." He flicked at her earlobe. "It's a perk I didn't care much about in the beginning, but now I want it more and more. Ya gotta remember, King and I are one. The harder he falls for you, the more I want you."

"You get away from her!"

In a blink of an eye, Orihime found herself being wrenched out of Shirosaki's grasp as she heard it snarl. She was pulled to the ground, a familiar pair of arms clasping her arms as they pulled her away from the Hollow.

"Ayame?" she said in surprise as she tried to turn and look at the mute Rikka.

"You little shits!" Shirosaki hollered as he was tackled to the ground. Orihime couldn't be sure, as her head was spinning, but it looked like Tsubaki and Baigon were pinning him.

"Get back to the real world, Orihime!" Shun-o shouted. "We'll handle him. Just wake up!"

"Shun-o?" Orihime reached out, but she only felt grass. "Where are-"

Suddenly with a gasp she sat upright, back in her bed. She fought to catch her breath as she clutched her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly. _What just happened? Was that… it couldn't have been a dream._

She'd had such "dreams" before, when her Rikka were fighting off Shirosaki. He had been there, somewhere inside her head. It had happened the day of the battle, when she and Ichigo had been napping together in her living room.

"Oh God," she said to herself as she curled up into a ball on her bed, trying to calm herself. "What's going on?"

In the distance, she suddenly felt Ichigo's reiatsu flare. She slowly raised her head as she waited, and then after a few minutes, she realized that his reiatsu was coming closer and closer to her house.

* * *

**A/N: **Tsk tsk, naughty Hollow. If the Shun Shun Rikka didn't intervene I'd probably would have had to bump up the rating XD;

ANYWAY, that's that. The next chapter update shouldn't be much longer than two weeks because I'm just about done with it. From there it'll depend on my beta-readers' speed. Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

Okay, this is a tad later than I wanted, but I accidentally got so caught up in trying to write and get over the wall I hit with Chapter 22 that I sort of forgot I had to post Chapter 21. *sweatdrop* Yeah, sorry guys. Major fail on my part. Still, it's only been about two weeks so it's not TOO bad.

Right. Anyway, loads of thanks to **sakuhime27, p17oyDONju9n, SilentRaider52, AbaraiArekushisu, ANIME-HIME69, AnimeAngel01, TheSnowLady, Lady Nazo, Racholasj, Somerlia, songsparrw1, Dragunity Gemini, Lydia, bleachbabe03, nypsy, Aline, ombre nocturne, SleeplessxB3auty, war90, uzamaki898, himelove22, **and **Cinniminni** for all of your reviews. Extra thanks to **le etoile **and **CrystalDawn **for beta-reading this and making it prettier.

There's a good amount of fluff in the first portion of this chapter to possibly cause tooth decay, giddiness, and in some special cases, people have been known to fart rainbows. You've been warned.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_Tangible progress, part 2_

This was no dream. Ichigo could already tell as he looked around him with the prevailing sense that this was nothing his mind had cooked up. Parts of his experience seemed dream-like. His vision was hazy, and seeing Orihime standing in her pajamas in the middle of a field was certainly something he'd only experience in a dream. Yet he only caught flickers of images and words, like he was watching through a malfunctioning camera with a few loose wires.

His Hollow's voice slithered out, and Ichigo felt his blood run cold when he saw his inner demon wrap its arms around Orihime. Ichigo wanted to holler and shout at his Hollow, but he couldn't. He was like a ghost, a specter, unable to move or talk, only watch.

He heard parts of the conversation, enough to alarm him. His frustration increased as he struggled to move but couldn't. A part of him wondered if he was really there at all, or if he was only spectator through his Hollow's presence in whatever place they were.

Suddenly, he heard his Hollow snarl and six figures swarm about Orihime. Ichigo could have sworn he heard the voice of one of Orihime's Rikka before the scene around him disappeared and he woke with a start in his bedroom.

_Inoue. _His reiatsu flared as he shot out of bed, panic temporarily getting the best of him. _Is she okay? _He felt for her reiatsu, and wasn't surprised to find it fluctuating. She was awake, and it only confirmed his fears that the scene he had just witnessed really wasn't a dream.

Although it was almost 1 AM, Ichigo wanted – no, he _needed_ to see her and make sure she was okay. He reached for his shinigami badge. Then he thought, _If my Hollow is up to something, going into my shinigami form might be dangerous. _He retracted his hand and clenched it at his side. It would make getting out of the house more difficult, since he would have to sneak out without the aid of his shinigami abilities.

He threw on his coat and shoes, not bothering to change out of his sweats and T-shirt before he silently crept out of his room. He listened for any sounds coming from the bedrooms, but all he could hear was soft snoring. With a deep inhale, he proceeded to silently step down the hallway, ever alert for any strange noises or sounds. He climbed down the stairs, making sure to step over the squeaky one. He glanced over his shoulder before tiptoeing across the house to the side door, since the front door had an alarm attached to it.

As quietly as he could, Ichigo eased open the side door just enough for his body to fit through. Once outside and he knew the coast was clear, he slid the door shut and it locked behind him. It wouldn't be until later that he realized he forgot to grab his house key, but at the time he was more concerned with getting to Orihime's house without being spotted.

If he was in his shinigami form, Ichigo could have easily gone up on the rooftops and leaped his way to Orihime's house. As such, he was forced to resort to using the streets. He briskly rubbed his hands up and down his arms, trying to stay warm as he sprinted through the streets. As an afterthought, he put up his hood; his hair was unmistakable and he didn't want anyone recognizing him if he somehow happened to pass them by at this hour or they spotted him from their window. He could only imagine the phone call his father might get: "Hello, Dr. Isshin. How are you today? By the way, what was your son doing running around at 1 AM?"

_I'd never hear the end of it, _Ichigo thought.

Normally walking to Orihime's house took about twenty minutes, but since he was in a full out sprint, Ichigo made it there in about half the time. Despite the excellent shape he was in, Ichigo was panting heavily when he finally made it to Orihime's apartment complex. He ran to the back, knowing the front door wasn't an option, lest he wake Hitsugaya and earn the little captain's wrath.

Now he had one final hurdle: getting through Orihime's window. Her bedroom window was the best choice, but it was two stories up. Looking around, Ichigo tried finding something that would help him climb to her window. A ladder would be best, except if someone happened to see it perched against the wall and decided to call the police.

His only other option was one of the trees behind the complex. One of the tree's branches extended towards Orihime's window. It would be a bit of a leap, but Ichigo was already resigned to his choice as he started climbing up the tree. _I must be out of my mind, _he thought as he made his way through the branches. It was a dangerous leap, and in his human form he risked breaking a leg or worse if he missed the window.

Yet it had long been established that he would do anything for Orihime. In the grand scheme of things, leaping out of a tree was a minor task. That's what he kept telling himself, anyway. Balanced precariously on the tree branch, Ichigo inched along, refusing to look down and keeping his eyes trained on her window. When he felt he could move no further, Ichigo carefully positioned his legs under him, and with a shaky breath, he hoped for the best before he sprang.

He kept his arms out, and the moment his fingers brushed against concrete he dug in, ignoring the pain as his skin scraped against the rough surface. He slid down, but he managed to grab the windowsill and prevent himself from plummeting to the ground.

As he tried to get a foothold against the wall, he heard the window open. "Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered.

He tried and failed to plant his feet on the wall. He let out a strangled "_Help_" as he started slipping.

Her arms shot out and grabbed him by the collar. With their combined effort, they managed to get Ichigo inside. He winced as his knees slammed against the carpet, but he was more relieved to be inside. He brushed off his hands as Orihime quickly shut the window and pulled the curtain close.

"Are you okay?" he asked the moment she turned towards him.

"I'm fine." She helped him to his feet. "Why are you here?"

"I…" He licked his lips that were chapped from the cold. The sensation suddenly triggered an image, one of his Hollow running its tongue up Orihime's neck. Ichigo's expression darkened as he reached out and traced his fingers where it had licked her.

Orihime's eyes widened as she took a step back. "You… you saw that?"

He nodded, biting back his anger.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she stumbled back. "I didn't mean for him to – I didn't want-"

Realizing that she thought his anger was directed at her, Ichigo's eyes softened as he pulled her towards him. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at _you._" He held her in his arms, nuzzling her hair as he tried to reassure her. "It wasn't your fault." He clenched his jaw as he held her tighter. "That bastard had no right to touch you."

Orihime pressed her forehead against his chest. "It was so strange. It almost felt just like you, like you were holding me, yet it wasn't you and it sent chills down my spine."

"Aside from coloring, we both look exactly the same. I guess we'd feel the same, too."

"Except he was colder. You're much warmer than him." She ran her hand up his arm. "Although right now you're even colder than he was. Let me get you a blanket."

He nodded and let her go. As she pulled out a blanket from her closet, Ichigo shed his coat and let it rest on the floor. He also pulled off his sneakers and set them to the side. When he felt a warm blanket being placed around his shoulders, he smiled and took it. "Thanks, Inoue."

"If you saw that," she began, unconsciously tilting her head to the side where Shirosaki had licked her, "then did you see everything else?"

"Sort of. I heard what my Hollow said about taking over." He wasn't entirely surprised, but he was extremely bent on making sure his Hollow didn't succeed. He had stopped him once, and he could do it again. How, he wasn't sure, but he'd find a way. "I'm not sure what it's getting at, but I won't let it get away with anything."

In her eyes were flickers of doubt, worry and fear. He couldn't blame her. With no way of knowing what was going on, Ichigo had no means in which with combat his Hollow. "It'll be okay," he said to her as he pulled her close.

"I just got you back," she whispered as she buried her face in his neck. "I don't want to lose you again."

"Well, according to my inner prick, that won't happen. I have no idea what it meant by that." He tried to sound a little teasing, hoping it would cheer her up.

She craned her head back. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course," he murmured, wondering just what she expected him to be careful about. He was always cautious with his Hollow. "I wouldn't put myself in jeopardy just so…" He trailed off as she frowned at him, her eyes as incredulous as he felt on the inside. They _both _knew that was a lie. Trying to rectify his sentence, he hastily added, "Well, okay, but not unnecessarily."

Orihime smiled, even though it seemed a little sad to Ichigo. "Putting yourself in danger is something you're very good at, unfortunately."

"If I might argue my case, danger seems to have a way of coming to me."

"You don't always have to face it and keep yourself in danger."

"I'm not gonna run away like some kind of pansy."

"Well, it's your non-pansy butt that always gets hurt!"

Though the topic of their debate was rather serious, both of them were joking (somewhat) as Ichigo muttered under his breath and Orihime giggled. "You're the one who always heals my non-pansy ass."

"Someone has to," she said. "And I don't like seeing you hurt."

"I know." For this Ichigo would always be both grateful and guilty. "I'm going to try not putting myself in so much danger from now on, but if it comes down between you or me being in danger, I'm gonna make sure it's me. I'll protect you no-"

Orihime suddenly looked away, and to Ichigo's surprise, there was some anger in her voice as she said, "Why is it always me? Why does everyone have to protect me?"

Their conversation had taken a turn for the serious; the joking had only been a flimsy façade that kept hidden the larger issue at hand. Knowing he was walking on eggshells, Ichigo said, "Inoue, no one wants you to get hurt. And I know I don't want anyone else to get hurt, either. They feel the same. We all want to protect each other."

"But I'm not allowed to protect anyone!" Swallowing back tears, Orihime fought to keep her voice from shaking as she continued, "You, Rukia-chan, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and even Abarai-kun. Tatsuki-chan, too. You all insist on protecting me, and I'm so grateful for it, but I can't seem to be able to protect anyone! No one lets me. Everyone wants me to stand back! And it – it's always 'Don't hurt Inoue, Kurosaki!' or 'You better not ever hurt Orihime again!' Isn't anyone worried that _I _might hurt you? I could break your heart!"

Her shoulders were shaking. "I want to protect you, too. I want to take a hit now and then. I know I can't fight well, but…"

_How long has she been keeping this pent up? _Whether tonight's events had shaken her up, or something inside had finally snapped, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder as Orihime forced herself to take deep breaths to stay calm. "I guess it's not fair," he murmured quietly. "None of it is. I can't speak for everyone else here, but I know I do in some ways because I hold you to a higher standard." He ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "You're a good person, better and kinder than anyone I know. You're worth protecting."

"And you're not?"

He smiled ruefully. "That's not up to me. But I had someone die for me once," he said, surprising both of them by mentioning his mother, "and I won't see it happen again. You're the best thing I've had since Mom. I'm not gonna let anyone take that away from me again." Not when he had the power and strength to prevent another tragedy. His mother's death had been a hard enough of a blow; he doubted he could handle Orihime's death.

The anger inside of her seemed to fade as she rested her head against his chest. "And you're the best thing I've had since Onii-chan. I guess that's why we're both so bent on keeping each other safe."

"I guess we're a little more alike than I thought," Ichigo said. He shook his head, amazed at how this night was turning out so far. They had gone from talking about his Hollow to their resolve to protect, stemming from the death of a beloved family member. It certainly wasn't turning out like he expected. He decided to drop the debate, for now, since it seemed like neither of them were willing to back down. "We should tell Shinji what happened in the morning. About my Hollow, I mean."

"Yeah," Orihime agreed. "He'll want to know, especially since it confirms what Nel-san said." Without warning, she suddenly yawned, blushing as she excused herself.

"It's late," Ichigo said. "Maybe I better let you get to bed."

Orihime's shoulders slightly sagged. "Ah, I guess."

Ichigo scratched his head, and sheepishly said, "Or, uh, I could stay until you fall asleep, if it makes you feel better." He secretly hoped she would agree.

Her smile brightened and she nodded, to Ichigo's relief. "Yeah. Come on." She crawled back into bed, snuggling under the covers before she pulled some back and patted the spot next to her.

He chuckled as he got in next to her and helped her pull the sheet over them. Though it was a little cramped sharing a standard-sized bed, neither of them minded as Orihime snuggled up next to Ichigo, and he draped an arm over her.

They laid there in silence for some time. Ichigo was struggling with something that was on his mind, and Orihime must have sensed it, for she stayed awake, waiting for him to speak. When he seemed unable to decide, she gave his arm a light squeeze and said, "Kurosaki-kun, what is it?"

Rukia had told Ichigo the extent of Orihime's feelings, but that knowledge wasn't making this any easier. To be honest, ever since Rukia had told him, he had been uncomfortable with hiding the extent of _his_ feelings. He felt like he was lying to Orihime, and she deserved to know. "About what I said before, about why I protect you… I didn't tell you the other reason."

"What is it?"

He had to say it before his resolve crumbled. Determined not to look at her, because it would only make him more nervous, he said in a low voice, "Because I love you." It was only after he blurted the words, feeling the weight of his secret lift off of him that he was able to look at her.

Her mouth was slightly open in shock as she stared at him. Her grip on his arm tightened, to the point where Ichigo was wincing. His grimace broke her out of her state of shock, and she released his arm. As the surprise faded after long minutes of silence, a warm smile broke out over her features. "Really?"

He nodded. His mouth was too dry to say anything.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," she whispered as she scooted up until their gazes were level with each other. "I love you too, Kurosaki-kun. Very much."

Even though he already knew, it still didn't stop the giddiness that bloomed in his chest. "And I never thought I'd hear you say that. Certainly never thought I'd earn it." He linked his hand with hers and suddenly added, "It's Ichigo."

Orihime blinked, her confusion apparent in the way her eyes widened and she tilted her head. "Eh?"

"I think we're a little past referring to each other in the formal."

A blush bloomed on her cheeks. "I guess we are. Okay then, um, Ichigo-kun."

"Very good, Orihime," he said with a teasing grin.

As she giggled, he grinned wider as he turned over until he was on top of her, propped up on his arms so he wasn't squishing. "I think Keigo's right. I really am a whipped bastard."

"No. You're just a sap."

Orihime could hardly contain her laughter as his expression became deadpan. She covered her hands over her mouth as she turned red from the suppressed laughter, and it only became worse as Ichigo dryly added, "Really? And who's responsible for that?"

"N – Not me," she said between her fingers. "Sappiness is something you're born with."

She squeaked and giggled as he nipped at her neck. "Liar," he said in her ear.

"I am not. I'm a fibber, remember?"

"Right." He smirked as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. His smirk turned into a content smile as her fingers ran through his hair. "But you know," he began thoughtfully, "being a sap or a whipped bastard or whatever you want to call it, I don't mind."

"You don't grieve for your manly days?" Orihime said, recalling Keigo's words. Even as she said them, she couldn't help but giggle.

Ichigo laughed with her. "God he's such a moron sometimes. Well, if those were my manly days, then I don't miss them all that much. I'm happier without them."

With that, a comfortable silence fell between them again. Ichigo tried staying awake until Orihime fell asleep, but her continued ministrations in his hair were too soothing, and shortly after she fell asleep, he followed suit.

* * *

Ichigo woke suddenly just before 6 AM. He groaned in protest at the early hour, and buried his face into Orihime's shoulder. "Mmph."

She opened her eyes and glanced at her alarm clock. "Kuro – Ichigo-kun, it's morning."

"Shit." He lifted himself up, blinking his eyes to clear his mind of the fog that settled in from sleep. As his mind and vision cleared, he looked down at Orihime. For a moment, he mused that he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning. He could very much become used to it. Then he pushed the thought from his mind; it was far too early in their relationship to be thinking about anything like that. Last night was just an exception. "I better get going."

Orihime nodded, and followed Ichigo after he got up from the bed. She stretched out her arms as he grabbed his coat and shoes. As he put his coat on, she peered out into the hall, checking to see if Hitsugaya or the others were awake. She beckoned to him, and together they crept through the apartment, making sure not to disturb the shinigami as they made their way to the door.

Ichigo slipped on his shoes before opening the front door as quietly as he could. He winced as the cold air hit him. "I'll see you later," he said to her. "Get some sleep."

"You too."

With a small smile he bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. It was short but sweet, and he felt his stomach flutter as they parted. Another quick kiss on her forehead, and he was out, running as fast as his tired body would let him.

His return trip took longer than the first one, with his body begging to return to bed and to sleep. Fighting the chill, Ichigo did his best to stay warm until he got to his house. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for the house key when he got to the side door. It wasn't until he dug through all of his pockets did he realize that he had left the key in his rush last night.

_Shit, _he cursed mentally as he began trying to open windows. All of the kitchen and clinic windows were locked, and Ichigo feared the worst until he tried one of the living room windows and to his surprise, found that it opened. He winced when it squeaked. His glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was watching before he climbed through the window. Once he was inside, he quietly shut it behind him. For a brief moment, he felt that the coast was clear and he had been successful. A part of him was thrilled at the idea that he had snuck out and gotten away with it. He almost felt like a normal teenager.

But fate was not feeling kind that morning. As Ichigo turned, he suddenly found that he was not alone downstairs. His eyes widened as his gaze met his father's, who was sitting in the kitchen drinking tea. _Oh fuck._

"I can't wait to hear this one explained," Isshin said with a smile as he set his cup down.

"Uh…" Ichigo hadn't made it a habit to sneak out of the house, or really do much of anything he had to lie to his dad about (except for shinigami-related things, but that was much different). Therefore, he didn't have a handy lie. "I was just – I was out with my friends and we uh, fell asleep…" At least not a _good _lie.

Isshin wasn't buying it, and Ichigo couldn't blame him. He stiffened as his dad got up, shaking his head as he walked over to his son. In the meantime, Ichigo's mind was racing to think of something to recover from his earlier fumble. "Look-"

To his surprise, Isshin suddenly bent towards him and sniffed. Ichigo frowned and said, "I wasn't drinking or smoking."

"No," Isshin agreed, "but I do detect a rather light fragrance."

Ichigo sniffed his arm, and realized in horror that some of Orihime's perfume had rubbed off on him. The situation was rapidly getting worse. "I-"

"My, I can't help but wonder just _what_ exactly you were doing last night." Isshin raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Nothing… bad, I hope?"

Ichigo caught onto his father's "suggestion" and snapped, "I did not do _anything _like that."

"Do anything like what?" Isshin asked innocently.

"Sleep with a girl," Ichigo said between gritted teeth.

"I didn't say you did," Isshin said with a chuckle.

"I know what you were insinuating." His frown hardened as he continued, "We didn't do anything last night."

"I just said you had a light fragrance. That could have come from a number of things. But thank you for letting me know that." He laughed quietly as Ichigo's mouth dropped. "Why were you with a girl last night, if you claim you weren't being a randy young man?" Isshin grinned, obviously amused by this.

_Shit. _His father had lured him into a trap. Ichigo couldn't believe he had fallen for it, but he blamed being caught off guard and the early hour in which this was taking place. His head reeled at the thought of having to come clean with Isshin about Orihime, but Ichigo realized that he had no choice. Either he told (some) of the truth about what happened last night, or he left his father thinking he had violated some girl in the middle of the night.

Obviously he couldn't tell him the real reason for going to Orihime's house in the middle of the night, so instead he began with, "I snuck out to her house last night to see her. We didn't do anything, we just talked for awhile and we both ended up falling asleep."

"Together?" Isshin asked with a raised brow.

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets, morosely resigned to his fate. "We didn't do anything," he repeated, glowering at the far wall.

Though Ichigo hadn't said it outright, it was all that Isshin needed to hear. "You have yourself a girlfriend?" he asked, his grin widening.

Ichigo groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. He refused to answer, but he knew that there was no avoiding it no matter what he did. The truth was out.

He had heard his father scream and shriek before, but nothing before this morning matched the clamor he made as he ran screaming to Masaki's poster. "MASAKI! OH MASAKI, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? OUR SON IS A MAN! DADDY IS SO HAPPY!"

"Oh my God." Ichigo covered his face with his hands, wishing for this to be over.

Isshin's antics continued as he began to run about the house, screaming with unbridled joy that his son had finally gotten himself a girlfriend. "I WAS SO AFRAID YOU'D NEVER GET YOURSELF A GIRL!"

"Just shut up!" Ichigo snapped, but his words fell on happily deaf ears.

"A girl! A GIRL! Now I no longer have to fear you're asexual! What a kind girl, to date you!" Isshin stuck his tongue out at Ichigo. "You're always so grouchy!"

"Oi!" Ichigo protested. "Orihime is not dating me out of pity, you jackass!"

Isshin's mouth dropped. "Hold on. You're dating Inoue Orihime?"

"Y – Yeah. What of it?" he said cautiously, wondering where Isshin was going with his question.

To his horror, Isshin's giddiness only increased at the news. "YOU'RE DATING A BEAUTY OF HER CALIBER? MASAKIIIIIII!" Isshin ran back to his wife's poster, sprawling himself over her visage as he wept in joy. "I'M SO PROUD OF OUR BOY! THE CHARM AND MANLINESS OF THE KUROSAKI MEN HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN TO HIM AFTER ALL!"

Ichigo heard hurried footsteps coming from upstairs. He glanced towards the stairs and found Rukia climbing down the stairs with a lamp in hand. Karin and Yuzu were behind her, their eyes wide in confusion. "What the hell is going on?" Rukia demanded. "We thought uncle was being attacked or something by all the screaming we heard."

"Rukia-chan! Karin, Yuzu! Wonderful news!" Isshin beamed as he turned around and said, "Ichigo is dating a girl! He's been hiding it from us!"

Rukia started to laugh as Karin and Yuzu turned to their brother in disbelief. "Really, onii-chan?" Yuzu said.

"Yes," Ichigo muttered, hunching his shoulders.

"Huh." Karin grinned as she crossed her arms and relaxed, now that she knew no one was being murdered in their home. "About time. Who is she?"

"Inoue Orihime," Rukia answered when Ichigo seemed resolute not to say.

Yuzu gasped as Karin's mouth dropped. "Way to go, Ichi-nii," the latter said.

"This is so mortifying," Ichigo said as he covered his eyes with his hand.

"If you had just told them to begin with, you might have prevented this," Rukia said with a triumphant smirk.

"I was trying to prevent _that,_" Ichigo said, pointing to his father.

"Hmph." Isshin scoffed at his son before he pranced into the kitchen. "I am happy for you, Ichigo, but this does not overlook the fact that you snuck out of the house without my permission."

Ichigo grimaced; he had hoped his father would forget about it during his ecstatic fit. "Dad, look, I'll do anything. Please, just don't ground me." If he was grounded, not only would he not be able to see Orihime after school, but he also wouldn't be able to go to training, and Shinji would be beyond pissed off.

"Well…" Isshin said, his tone dramatically thoughtful. "I suppose there is _one _condition I can think of that would allow me to overlook your punishment."

"What is it?" Ichigo asked, betraying in his tone the hope he felt.

His father turned and grinned. "Orihime-chan must come over to dinner next Friday night, if she can make it."

"_What?_"

"You heard me," Isshin said as Ichigo gaped. "I want to meet her. So do your sisters, I imagine."

"But-"

"Please, onii-chan?" Yuzu and Karin walked up to him, the first with wide, pleading eyes and the second with a hopeful grin. "We would really like to meet her," Yuzu added.

"Oh come on, Ichigo," Rukia said from the stairwell. "It won't be that bad. Besides, if she's that important to you then she should meet your family. You know she'd love it."

Since it was the only way out of getting punished, and since he couldn't say no to his sisters, Ichigo sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll ask her."

Isshin and Yuzu cheered as Karin and Rukia grinned. "Start planning for dinner next week, Yuzu!" Isshin cried as he ran about the kitchen. "We must make an excellent feast for Orihime-chan!"

"Will do, sir!" Yuzu said with a salute before racing off to grab a pen and paper. "I'll start making a list. Onii-chan, please ask her what her favorite dish is!"

"All right," he muttered as he started to make his way to the stairs.

Rukia raised an eyebrow at him as he climbed up the stairs. "Want to tell me why you were at Orihime's last night?"

Ichigo glanced at his family before saying in a low voice, "In my room."

She nodded in understanding. They both checked to make sure the others weren't looking before quietly walking back up the stairs. Rukia glanced over her shoulder repeatedly and listened in case Isshin or one of the twins decided to come looking for them. It wasn't until they were in Ichigo's room and he closed the door that Rukia felt safe to ask, "What happened?"

Ichigo peeled off his coat, tossing it on his desk chair before explaining to Rukia what had happened, from the "dream" to the part where they decided to tell Shinji what had happened.

When he was finished, Rukia's expression was serious as she cupped her chin. "What could this all mean?"

"I don't know. It's one thing for my Hollow to come after me. I'm used to it and I can handle it. But what pisses me off the most is that it's going after Orihime."

"It's using her, from what I can tell." Rukia didn't seem any happier than Ichigo about it. "However, at least it seems that it won't hurt her. That's thanks to you."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"_It _cares about her because _you _care about her, if I'm making sense of this right. In the end, that might be the only thing that can stop it."

* * *

Ichigo couldn't help but feel Rukia might have been right. He spun the words in his head all morning and even when he went over to Orihime's house.

"_Get real, King. She ain't gonna stop me."_

Quietly, oh so very quietly, Ichigo mentally noted that he detected hesitance in Shirosaki's voice. It wasn't often his Hollow showed any sign of weakness. If Rukia was right, then that left the matter of how Orihime could stop his Hollow. For now, Ichigo had no ideas, but it gave him hope.

He pushed his worries to the side when Orihime opened the door for him. Her smile brightened, and he couldn't help but smile in return.

"Hello, Ichigo-kun." She stepped to the side to let him in.

He kicked off his shoes as she closed the door, and when they turned and met, he bent down and kissed her, catching his poor girlfriend off guard. She squeaked, and he paused for a moment to chuckle and bring her closer. When she finally relaxed, he said, "Hello to you, too."

"One of these days I'll get used to it, really." Orihime blushed as she gently clutched the front of his shirt.

"Maybe if I do it enough you will."

"That's just an excuse."

"Yeah," he admitted as he placed a kiss on her neck. "Is that a complaint?"

As he began leaving kisses up her neck, nipping lightly here and there, she sighed contentedly and said, "Nope."

Ichigo's eyes strayed upwards, realizing that they were alone in the usually noisy apartment. "Where are Toshiro and the others?"

"They went to Soul Society." Something in Orihime's tone made Ichigo stand back to get a good look at her face. There he saw some concern in the way she frowned.

"Did something happen?"

"I don't know, honestly. Hitsugaya-taichou hurried out of here after he got a call from them, and Rangiku-san and Hinamori-san followed."

"Weird." Ichigo shook his head. "Well, if something bad happened we'd have been told. Maybe it was some kind of meeting they had to go to."

"Yeah, maybe. That sounds about right." She paused, toying with his collar before adding, "Should we call Shinji-kun?"

"Yeah, let's get it over with." He let her go get the phone while he sat down on the couch, stretching out his legs. He let himself sink a little into the couch, and let out a deep exhale.

Orihime sat next to him, handing him the phone. Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he dialed Shinji's cell phone. They both exchanged glances before Ichigo hit the call button.

They waited in silence as the phone rang on the other end. Ichigo was starting to get fidgety after the third ring when Shinji finally answered, "_Orihime-chan?_"

"Not quite," Ichigo said dryly.

"_Eh, Ichigo? The hell are ya doin', calling from Orihime-chan's phone?_"

"Because I'm at her house, dumbass." Ichigo rolled his eyes before continuing, "I need to talk to you about something."

"_About what?_"

"Something happened last night." Ichigo's grip on the phone tightened as he remembered the previous night's incident. He still couldn't get the image of his Hollow holding Orihime out of his head; it made him want to punch something, or better yet, rip his Hollow to shreds.

There was a definitive pause on the other end. Ichigo could only imagine the look of dread Shinji was wearing. He couldn't blame him in the least if he did. "_I'm not gonna like this, am I?"_

"Not really."

Shinji let loose a string of expletives before saying, "_Hang on. I'll get the others."_

Ichigo waited as Shinji went to gather everyone. In the meantime, he held the phone away from his mouth and said, "He's getting the others."

"Okay." Orihime leaned her head on his shoulder, and smiled when he placed his cheek on top of her head. "I feel bad, since it'll make them worry."

"Well, they'd be angrier if we didn't tell them." Ichigo sighed. "The sooner we tell them, the earlier we can figure this out."

"_Yo, Ichigo. You there?_"

He brought the phone back to his mouth. "Yeah." Ichigo lifted his head up in attention.

"_Okay, I'm gonna put you on speaker so everyone can hear." _There was another brief pause, and then Shinji spoke again, his voice farther away and quieter now that the phone was on speaker. _"Here we go. Okay, what the hell happened?"_

For the second time, Ichigo recounted what happened. Orihime brought up a couple points, which Ichigo quickly added to his explanation. With her help, he detailed the events of last night, though he left out what had happened during the latter part of the night.

"_I really hate yer Hollow,_" Shinji said after Ichigo finished. "_Really fuckin' hate it. I can't believe it touched Orihime-chan like that."_

"I'm as pissed off as you are," Ichigo said, unconsciously squeezing Orihime's shoulder. "I'll handle that part later," he added, planning on having a word with his Hollow at some point in the near future. "What should we do about the other part?"

There were low murmurs in the background. Ichigo listened, trying to pick up on what the Vizards were saying. He heard "Hollow" and "plan of action" tossed around, but judging by the rising voices and occasional shouts, they weren't coming to an agreement.

"_Hey, Ichigo," _Riza suddenly said. "_Can we call you back later? We need some time to talk it over."_

"Yeah, sure. We'll be here."

"_Good." _And with that she hung up.

Ichigo sighed in aggravation as he tossed the phone to the side. "They need time to talk about it," he explained to Orihime. "From what I could tell, they couldn't settle on any course of action."

"It's tricky," Orihime said. "We don't know what to do either, and it's probably better if we think this through instead of rushing into anything."

"You're right, but it's just frustrating is all. I don't like sitting around."

Instead of saying anything, Orihime just reached over and gave his leg a reassuring squeeze. Understanding what she was trying to convey, Ichigo smiled wearily. "I know. I'll be patient. Besides," he said with a shrug, "it's one irritation out of the way."

"There's another irritation?"

"Yeah. This one is my fault." He was dreading this, but he knew he had no choice. "I got caught sneaking back in this morning."

Orihime gasped. "Oh no! Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

He placed a long finger against her lips to silence her. "It's Ichigo, remember?" He smirked when she blushed; in her dismay she had forgotten about the drop of formalities. "And it's not your fault. I forgot my house key when I left."

"Are you in trouble?" she asked quietly.

"No. I would have been, but…" Ichigo scowled heavily at the memory, remembering how his father had tricked him into revealing what he had been up to and who he had been with. "The one time my dad decides to be sly…"

"Eh?"

"My dad tricked me into telling him about you."

Orihime's mouth formed a little "o". Ichigo wasn't sure if she was just surprised or mortified. If she knew what his family was like, he mused wryly, she would be the latter.

"And of course," Ichigo continued, his scowl deepening, "he made a huge commotion about it and woke Karin, Yuzu and Rukia. So my sisters know, too. Now my family wants to meet you."

"Really?" For a moment, Orihime's smile brightened. However, as Ichigo ran a hand over his face, her smile fell. "You don't want them to meet me."

"Orihime." Ichigo parted his fingers to train one eye on her. "I don't want them to meet you for _your _sake. My family is crazy. But…" He sighed softly at her hopeful expression. "if you really want to meet them, then you're invited to dinner next Friday night."

Orihime clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ah! Then I'd be happy to come!"

Before Ichigo could comment further, the door burst open. Both teenagers turned to find Hinamori standing in the threshold, panting heavily. "Hinamori-san?" Orihime said in surprise.

"S – Sorry about this." Momo fought to catch her breath as she straightened and said, "I've been back and forth between Urahara's shop and Soul Society twice now, and then I ran over here, so I'm a little out of breath."

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"We've been back and forth between the worlds in order to communicate with Neliel and Grimmjow. The captains talked about their offer and decided to take them up on it." Momo stood erect and said in a stronger voice, "We're going to attack Hueco Mundo. Well, to be more correct, we're going to launch an attack on Las Noches."

"Seriously?" Ichigo said as Orihime gasped.

"We're tired of playing the waiting game with Ichimaru and Tousen. The captains decided to go to them and drag them out of Hueco Mundo. Urahara-san went to Hueco Mundo and negotiated with Neliel and Grimmjow. They're going to get us inside. In return, we're going to try and spare as many Arrancar as we can and let the ones who aren't helping Tousen and Ichimaru go."

"It's about time we did something," Ichigo said. He turned to Orihime and smiled apologetically. "Looks like we're going to have to change plans."

"Kyouraku-taichou and Unohana-taichou want everyone stationed in town to help with the attack, including you guys, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun and the Vizards." Momo scratched her head. "Urahara-san is going to talk to Hirako about it and see if they're willing to help, but we need all the people we can get."

"When are we attacking?" Orihime asked.

"Tonight." Momo's eyes softened in understanding at the shock on their faces. "I know. It's pretty hasty, but the captains want to move as fast as possible. We're going to set up a line here so Kyouraku-taichou can brief all of us at once." She smiled apologetically at Orihime. "Do you mind us setting up that line we had back during the War again?"

"Not at all."

"Thank you." Momo bowed to her before straightening and adding, "I'm going to go bring it in and start setting up."

"I'll help you," Ichigo said as he got to his feet.

"And I'll call some of the others and let them know what's going on. What time is the briefing at?" Orihime asked as she reached for the phone.

"Eighteen-hundred hours," Momo answered. "Not much time, I know. That's why I ran here," she added with a laugh.

Ichigo's mouth was set into a determined line as he walked over to help Momo carry the screen inside that would allow them to contact Soul Society. His worries about his Hollow had to be pushed aside; they would be invading in a matter of hours and finally dealing with Ichimaru and Tousen once and for all, and the last thing he needed was to go into this with a distracted mind. A part of him was grateful for the attack, though, as it would feel like he helped accomplish something and resolve an issue instead of creating one.

Resolutions seemed so scarce anymore. Arresting those two bastards and putting an end to whatever plan they were undertaking would be a welcome change of pace, for him and for everyone else.

* * *

**A/N**: Time to solve the Ichimaru and Tousen problem once and for all. Next chapter: another Las Noches invasion, minus the rescue aspect. Stay tuned!


	22. Chapter 22

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews and support. I'm glad most people seemed to like the fluff from last chapter. It can be lethal stuff in too high of doses. (Un)fortunately there isn't nearly as much in this chapter. Just fighting and dialogue for the most part, which hopefully will make everyone else happy. Shout-outs go out to **sakuhime27, Lady Nazo, Inverness, Racholasj, SleeplessxB3auty, Rachel, Demonbloodfeeder, Somerlia, SilentRaider52, chuchootrain, Dragunity Gemini, ombre nocturne, nypsy, AbaraiArekushisu, Aline, Iceflame55, b4ndg33k, **and **war90. **Special love and thanks to **CrystalDawn **and **le etoile **for beta-reading this.

Mild violence warning for this chapter, but this shouldn't be anything new. Anyway, enjoy the 22nd installment (...damn we're that far already?) of The Bond Between Us.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

_Initiative_

After being briefed by Kyouraku, all the shinigami, humans, and Vizards were assembled in Urahara's basement, waiting for Urahara to open the Garganta for them. The atmosphere, while serious, was much more hopeful and optimistic than the last time they had encountered Tousen and Ichimaru. Then again, this time they (hopefully) wouldn't have a Vasto Lorde in their ranks.

"Hopefully this will go well," Momo murmured to Hitsugaya.

"They have nowhere to run this time." Hitsugaya adjusted Hyourinmaru, his gaze stern as he watched Urahara continue his preparations. "I don't care if we have to tear apart Las Noches to get to them."

He glanced to his left. Rangiku stood a bit of a ways from him, clutching her arm as she stared thoughtfully at the ground. Though he kept his expression composed, on the inside his heart squeezed. "Matsumoto."

Her eyes lifted up and she smiled. Though it seemed cheery, Hitsugaya had known her long enough to know better. "Yeah?"

There was a lot he wanted to say. _Are you going to be all right? _and _How will you handle this after Ichimaru is arrested? _But he wasn't good with those sorts of things, and he didn't want to insult her pride. Instead, he said, "I want you to mainly root out the Arrancar. Allow the ones who want to go free to run, and take out any who resist." In other words, _I don't want you to be the one to find Ichimaru and Tousen._

Whatever she felt about his words, she covered up with a nod and a "Yes, sir."

When she turned away, he sighed quietly. His opinion of Ichimaru didn't matter; in the end, he didn't want to see his vice-captain suffer. He wished there was a way to save him, just so Rangiku wouldn't have to bear with the pain of losing him. _But Ichimaru made his choice, and he sealed his fate. There's nothing I can do but see it through._

Momo's hand squeezed his shoulder, and he gave her a rare, brief smile. Although Momo didn't like Ichimaru any more than he did, he read the same dread and worry in her eyes that he felt.

"Here we go." Urahara's sing song voice brought their attention back. "The Garganta is ready."

Hitsugaya's smile fell and he composed his expression, resuming his role as a captain leading the charge. "Everyone. Remember our orders. Once Neliel-san gets us inside Las Noches, we'll split up and search the buildings. If you encounter any Arrancar, they are to be given a choice. Neliel-san will be waiting at the entrance for any Arrancar who plan on leaving. If any Arrancar resist or insist on allying with Ichimaru and Tousen, take them out." Hitsugaya paused to take a breath before continuing, "Our priority is Ichimaru and Tousen. Do not fight them alone. If you are with others and encounter them, take them down and arrest them. Try to take them alive. Remember that they are captain-class and will prove to be tough opponents. Be on your guard. Once they are captured, we will rendezvous where we enter Las Noches and return."

He scanned the fighters assembled before him. "Any questions?"

When he was met with silence, Urahara spoke, "A few of you have been through the Garganta before, but since most of you haven't I'll explain how it works. Unlike the Daigon, there are no pathways. You must form one with your own reiatsu, so be careful as you make your way through. Be aware of yourself and the others around you; it's easy to lose your concentration in there."

Hitsugaya moved towards the Garganta. He beckoned at everyone else to follow. With a calming breath, he said, "All right. Everyone, let's go."

He sprang, propelling himself into the Garganta as everyone followed suit.

* * *

Hueco Mundo was quiet tonight. Neliel sighed as she sat against a rock, enjoying the peace while it lasted. She stared out at the massive eyesore that was Las Noches, quietly contemplating if its residents had any idea what was about to happen.

"Where are we entering from?" Grimmjow asked as he stepped next to her, his hands in his pockets.

"I figured the way Ichigo and his friends came in. The hole should still be there," Nel said, smiling as she recollected the scene (and the noise) Ichigo and Renji made as they tore down the wall. "It's closer from here than the main entrance, anyway."

A moment of silence passed before Nel added, "Do you think any of them will run?"

"If they don't it's their own fault," Grimmjow said with an indifferent shrug. "If the shinigami give them the choice and they resist, they sealed their own fate. Nothing we can do about it."

"True…" Nel said as she frowned. "Still, I want to save as many as possible."

"What for?"

She glanced up at Grimmjow, not at all surprised at his question. "Why not? It seems cruel to let so many die for no purpose."

"They still think they have a purpose," Grimmjow said. "To avenge Aizen or whatever the hell it is they think they're doing. You take Ichimaru and Tousen out, they won't have a purpose or anyone to follow."

"Must we have one?" Nel demanded in a sharp tone, enough to make Grimmjow look at her in surprise. "Is violence and conquest all a Hollow can strive for? We never needed Aizen," Nel added in a sullen tone. "We may be indebted to him for transforming us, but he did nothing else for us but treat us like cannon fodder. Our lives can continue without him." Suddenly, she smiled slyly and said, "Aren't you the king?"

"What?"

"You said we have no one to follow." She got to her feet and stretched out her back. "I remember during your fight with Ichigo you said that you were the king. Of what and over whom I don't know, but perhaps this is your chance to prove yourself."

"Nel-sama, Grimmjow!" Pesshe jumped up and down from the embankment above them. "They're here!"

"Time to go," Nel said as she grabbed her sword. "Get ready, Grimmjow."

He made a dismissive sound to brush her off as they climbed the embankment. Nel peered over the top, and waved to the others as they hopped out of the Garganta. "Down here!"

As they shuffled through the sand towards her, many of them glanced across the distance at Las Noches - some of them in nostalgia, and others for the first time. Hiyori scrunched her nose at it and remarked, "It's ugly as hell."

"I guess not all psychopaths have good taste," Shinji said as his eyes flitted between the numerous towers and structures of Las Noches.

Next to Shinji, Orihime tensed, her gaze slightly hardened. She felt a broad hand on her shoulder. Appreciating the gesture of comfort, she squeezed the hand in her own. "I'm okay."

Ichigo nodded, taking her word for truth. "You're not a prisoner this time," he said.

"Come on, Orihime!" Rukia said brightly, peering from over her other shoulder. "This is our first invasion together!"

Orihime laughed quietly. "Ah, that's right. Either you or I were the prisoners during the two invasions."

"Precisely." Rukia proudly crossed her arms and nodded at Las Noches. "Let's go into this with our hopes and heads held high. Besides, you and I are on the same team. This'll be good."

Everyone had been assorted into teams in order to canvass Las Noches more efficiently. Rukia, Renji, Ichigo and Orihime had been put on the same team. "We're a pretty large team," Orihime commented as they began to make their way down to Las Noches.

"We're the only team assigned with either task," Rukia said as she let herself slide down the embankment; climbing it was too much of a hassle. "Hitsugaya-taichou, Hinamori-fukutaichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou are going after Ichimaru and Tousen. Everyone else is to find the Arrancar."

"Actually," Ishida said, landing next to Rukia when they reached the bottom, "I'm replacing Matsumoto-san. She was reassigned to help with the Arrancar."

"I see," Rukia said with a thoughtful frown.

When everyone reached the bottom, Nel pulled ahead and beckoned them to follow her. Keeping their reiatsu as suppressed as they could, the invaders shot over the sands, following Nel as she led them across the vast stretch of sandy plain until they reached the gaping hole Renji and Ichigo left in Las Noches' side.

Ichigo and Renji shared a smirk as they approached the hole. "Nostalgic, ain't it?" Renji said.

"You did this?" Orihime asked.

"Renji and I did," Ichigo said. "The proper entrance is a three days' walk from here, so we made our own."

Rukia laughed under her breath, hiding her mouth behind her sleeve as Hitsugaya walked by, muttering something about "letting a pair of idiots loose on a mission."

Nel turned towards the group and said, "Is everyone ready?"

She was met with sixteen nods, a pair of enthusiastic "Yes, Nel-sama!" from her old Fraccion, and a dull glare from Grimmjow. With a smile, she stepped inside, looking around for anyone who might be coming to investigate as the invaders followed behind her.

Just like when Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Ishida and Sado had come to rescue Orihime, they were met with five long hallways that led them deeper into Las Noches. Fortunately, no one was venturing in alone this time. "All right," Hitsugaya began. "Dondochakka and Pesshe, the two of you are waiting here for any Arrancar who wish to leave?"

"Yes, dontcha know?" Dondochakka said.

The captain nodded and continued, "Good. Everyone, split up into your assigned teams and pick a hallway. Neliel is going to lead those of us going for the Arrancar towards where the Arrancar are supposedly residing. Grimmjow…" He glanced at him with a neutral stare. "Do you plan on showing us where Ichimaru and Tousen are?"

The former Sexta grunted, not at all thrilled at the idea, but said, "Fine. I'll lead you and your damn merry men to where they might be. I can't guarantee a thing, though."

"It's all we can ask," Hitsugaya said. "If we're lucky, we'll pick up on their reiatsu. In the meantime," He turned towards Sado, Matsumoto, and the Vizards. "You lot should go for the Arrancar."

"Shouldn't _we _be looking for those two?" Hiyori said with a glare.

"You're welcome to arrest them if you see them," Hitsugaya said. "We just need more people looking for Arrancar, at least in terms of numbers. You eight don't have any specific orders. I'm merely suggesting."

"Let's tackle whatever comes our way," Hachi said calmly. "Whether it be Arrancar or Ichimaru and Tousen."

Shinji nodded towards one of the paths before them. "We'll head down that way and go from there. Whoever we run into, we run into. End of story."

"I'll be going with you," Nel said. "I'll be leading Sado and Matsumoto. The Numero quarters are down that way."

"Which way?" Hitsugaya said to Grimmjow.

The Hollow nodded at the middle path. "That way's probably best."

Ichigo glanced at the far left hall. "Then we'll try that way."

"Everyone," Hitsugaya said as he clutched Hyourinmaru's hilt. "remember your orders and your priority. Let's go."

In a flash, everyone was off, flash-stepping (with shunpo or sonido) down their respective paths and to whatever lay in store for them.

* * *

Las Noches was eerily quiet, Ishida noted. It had been like that the first time he invaded with Ichigo and the others. No alarms, no running and shouting, nothing like what they were met with in Soul Society when they broke in to save Rukia. Although there could be no doubt they knew of their presence, the atmosphere was calm. That didn't mean things would remain that way.

Grimmjow was leading them through corridors Ishida didn't recognize. The Quincy assumed he was taking them to the quarters of the defectors, but he couldn't be sure.

Suddenly the former Espada skidded to a halt. The two shinigami and Quincy stopped as well, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for what made Grimmjow stop. Ishida glanced to a hallway to his right. A bright flash of orange and red rocketed towards them, and as the four of them leapt out of the way, Ishida realized what had made Grimmjow pause.

His spirit bow was out and ready by the time the attacking Arrancar emerged. He gave them a warning shot, but they seemed determined to confront them.

"Take out the invaders!" one of them shouted as they charged down the hall, swords drawn.

"We're not here to exterminate any Arrancar," Hitsugaya said. His words surprised the Arrancar enough to force them to stumble to a halt.

"Eh?" one of the other Arrancar said. "Why are you here then?"

"To arrest Tousen and Ichimaru," the captain said. "If you do not wish to fight us, we will not force you. Two Arrancar wait by an exit that way." He pointed in the direction they had come from. "You'll recognize their reiatsu once you get closer. They're there to take you out of Las Noches."

"And if we resist?" the first Arrancar said, tightening his grip on his sword.

"Then you die, dumbass," Grimmjow said.

Three of the five Arrancar that had charged at them paused and considered Hitsugaya's words. A small female then sheathed her sword. "I'll take your offer."

"What?" the first Arrancar, seemingly the leader, snapped. "How dare you abandon-"

"The only thing we'd be abandoning," another Arrancar said in a low voice, "is a sinking ship. If you want to die a dog's death, then go ahead."

In a flash, the three Arrancar left, leaving two stubbornly loyal Arrancar to handle the invaders. The leader let out a "humph" before taking a fighting stance. "Very well. Then we will fight! I shall never take the coward's way out!"

Hitsugaya sighed as he drew Hyourinmaru. "I suppose it would have been wishful thinking to hope that all you Arrancar had some sense," he said before he swung.

* * *

"Oi!" Shinji yelled as an Arrancar repeatedly swung at him. "Didn't ya freakin' hear me? Ya don't have to fight!"

"I will give my life serving Aizen-sama!" the tenacious Arrancar screeched.

"Aizen's dead ya moron!" Shinji retorted as he swung Sakanade, knocking the Arrancar back. "D-e-a-d. Yer fighting for a ghost."

"I fight for his mission!"

"Sweet baby Buddha," Shinji muttered as he met the Arrancar's strikes. "What a dense bunch. Yo, Nel!" he shouted towards the Arrancar standing off to the side (since she refused to fight any of her fellow Arrancar), "Did any of 'em take yer offer?"

"Seven have so far," she answered.

"I guess it's better than nothing."

Riza rested Haguro Tonbo on her shoulders as she walked over towards Nel. "Make that eight. I managed to convince one to leave."

Nel smiled gratefully to her. "Thank you."

"There aren't that many Arrancar," Rose noted as Shinji continued to battle with one. Aside from his fight, he only spotted three other ones, who were currently being dealt with by Sado, Matsumoto and Hiyori.

"Some left after Aizen fell, and that's not counting the ones killed during the war." Nel stared at the wall ahead of her. "There weren't tons to begin with, but yes, some seem to be missing. They may be further up ahead."

"We split up, too," Riza pointed out. "So their numbers will be divided."

"I know." Rose crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to Nel. "But we're the biggest group. Surely we should have attracted the most attention?"

As the Arrancar Shinji was fighting tumbled across the floor, Shinji narrowed his eyes. "I just thought of something."

Nel glanced over at him. "Hm?"

"Back during the battle, when they brought that Vasto Lorde, the Arrancar seemed pretty loyal to him." Shinji's mouth formed into a hard line. "If that's the case, they're gonna be pretty pissed at Ichigo for killin' him. _That _might explain where they all went."

"Then we shouldn't be here," Rose said, straightening his back. "They might not be the only ones targeting them, either."

* * *

"Damn it," Renji muttered. "We haven't found anyone yet."

Her eye twitching, Rukia suddenly kicked Ichigo in the shins.

"_What was that for?_" Ichigo hollered as he rubbed the spot where she kicked him.

"You picked this path!" she yelled back, shoving her face into his. "Thanks to you, we've just been running and running! We finally get the chance to do something productive and you send us on a wild goose chase down a damn empty hall!"

"Why you-" Ichigo seethed as he ground his forehead against hers. "You're making it sound like I did it on purpose!"

"Who the hell decided you could pick?"

"_You _didn't protest!"

"I wanted to take the other path, but you opened your big mouth before I could and sent us down this one!"

Renji shook his head as Orihime stared at her quarreling friend and boyfriend. "U – Um, maybe we could-"

For a moment, everyone went silent as they sensed something. In the next instant, Ichigo and Rukia broke apart and flew back before five Ceros crashed through the wall next to them. The force from the five Ceros not only destroyed the wall, it also crumbled the floor between Rukia and Renji and Ichigo and Orihime.

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed as he grabbed Orihime and leapt back, away from the collapsing hall. He ducked into another hall and waited for the clamor to cease.

Orihime peered around his shoulder when the noise died down. "Do you think Rukia-chan and Renji-kun are okay?"

Ichigo took a step to go back out into the hallway, but his path was suddenly barred by five Arrancar who appeared in front of him. Orihime turned when she heard the distinct buzzing sound of sonido coming from behind them. Sure enough, five more Arrancar emerged from the opposite end of the hall. They were surrounded.

"He's the one," an Arrancar said, pointing to Ichigo. "He's the one who killed Lord Ehru."

Ichigo swallowed, pushing aside the memories the Arrancar's words evoked. "He tried to kill me and Orihime. I couldn't stand by and let him do that."

"We don't care about your reasoning," another Arrancar said, one Ichigo recognized from the battle days ago. "You killed him, and now you'll both pay for it."

Orihime took a step back, her back pressing against Ichigo's. "Should we tell them about Nel-san's offer?"

"I don't think they're going to care about that," Ichigo murmured as the Arrancar drew their swords.

Orihime nodded. "I didn't think so, either."

Ichigo drew Zangetsu and immediately called out his bankai form. He raised Tensa Zangetsu and said, "I know you don't want to hurt anyone. Just hold them off until I'm finished with these guys in front. Can you do that?" Normally he'd try to just take on all ten of them, but given their positions, he knew it wasn't feasible. He also remembered Orihime's words to him last night, about how she wanted to protect him too. As much as it went against his nature, he had to let her.

"Yeah," she whispered, giving his free hand a squeeze.

He only had time to squeeze back before the Arrancar charged from both sides. The quicker the enemy went down the better, so Ichigo immediately unleashed a Getsuga Tenshou at them. Most of them were quick enough to dodge, but he managed to take out one in the process.

Orihime threw up her shield in front of her. Calling on her training with Hachi, she drew on her powers and expanded the shield's size. She almost wished Hachi could have been there to see it as the normally small shield managed to repel five attacks at once.

Ichigo refused to move from his spot, not wanting to leave Orihime's back unguarded. He held his ground as he repelled sword swings coming in all directions. During the flurry of attacks, he managed to slide Zangetsu in between and stab one of the Arrancar through the chest. He sliced horizontally, sending the Hollow to the floor and managing to nick another in the process.

One of the Arrancar coming at Orihime went around her shield and tried to strike her from the side. In a rather creative maneuver, Orihime called out Shun-o and Ayame and had them form their shield over the Arrancar's arm. Having remembered that Tatsuki and Hiyori had been repelled backwards when they tried to break out of the shield, she hoped it would work the same way. To her luck, the Soten Kisshun held the Arrancar's arm in place, preventing her from moving.

"Damn it!" she screeched as she tried freeing her arm. "What did you do?"

Leaving her to try to free herself, Orihime glanced over her shoulder and found Ichigo struggling. She sent out Tsubaki and aimed him in between the Arrancar. Though he didn't actually cut anyone, he did manage to break up the group, giving Ichigo the advantage which he pressed by repeatedly striking at the nearest Arrancar.

She turned back to find two of the Arrancar flash-stepping around the shield and coming at her. Orihime was forced to duck and roll out of the way. The Arrancar swung just as she hit the ground. Instead of cutting her, they managed to slice each other. The wounds they received weren't lethal, but enough to make them stagger back.

Orihime quickly got to her feet and threw up the Santen Kesshun when the remaining two Arrancar who weren't trapped or injured tried to attack her again.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was battling the two remaining Arrancar on his side, after having managed to defeat the third one. He tried working his way back to Orihime, uneasy at her being separated from him. However, since he was primarily on the defensive, he couldn't make his way over there without the Arrancar forcing him back.

Just as Ichigo pulled on his Hollow mask to dispatch them more quickly and as Orihime continued to defend herself from the Arrancar, the one she had trapped in the Soten Kisshun managed to break the shield from the outside. The shield shattered and Shun-o and Ayame were forced back to Orihime's hairpins.

By the time Orihime realized what had happened, the female Arrancar she had trapped flash-stepped behind her and rammed her sword into Orihime's back. It didn't penetrate, for it hit her spine and thus halted its forward movement. Unable to help it, as the pain was unbearable, Orihime screamed as the sword dug into her back.

Ichigo's blood ran cold as Orihime's scream echoed through the hall. Even his Hollow seemed riveted to the spot. He jerked his head towards her, only to find the culprit pull her sword out of Orihime's back and shove her with her foot to the ground.

Ichigo didn't think, he just _moved. _In an instant his body was shielding Orihime as it protected her from the next blow. The sharp pain in his shoulder from the female Arrancar's sword barely registered with him. "Orihime," he said, his voice laced with panic as he tried to get his arms around her to pick her up. "Orihime!"

The air suddenly became frigid as a pillar of ice shot out and struck the female Arrancar. She was frozen in place briefly, her eyes wide in shock before the ice pillar broke, destroying her and her sword with it.

"Rukia!" Ichigo said in relief as she ran towards them.

She ducked as she slid towards him and Orihime. Ichigo understood why when in the next moment, Zabimaru lashed out and struck any Arrancar unlucky enough to be in its range.

"Is she badly wounded?" Rukia said as she helped Ichigo lift Orihime up.

They both grimaced as blood dripped from Orihime's back. "I gotta get her someplace where she can heal herself," Ichigo said as he gently began to lift her up. He kept a hand pressed against her wound to keep it from bleeding out. "She's breathing okay but…"

Everyone started when they heard more voices drift down from the other end of the hall. "Damn it," Renji said. "More are coming. I guess I spoke too soon."

"They're coming for you two," Rukia said as she looked at Ichigo. "You're the one who killed their Vasto Lorde, and she's the reason why you did. You both need to get out of here."

"But, with this many…" Ichigo said, glancing around at the Arrancar Renji had knocked down, some of who were getting back up on their feet. He was torn as to what to do. "What should I…"

Renji turned towards their opponents and said, "There's no question about it. Take her away."

"Wha-"

"Don't just stand there. Take her away now!" Renji kept his back to him as he held out Zabimaru. "That's _your _job. Protect her with your life."

Renji was right, as much as Ichigo hated to admit it. He had to trust his friends' strength and get Orihime out of harm's way. "Tch." Ichigo lifted Orihime up and held her close. "Dumbass. Don't use my own words against me." However, he nodded to Renji before flash-stepping out of there with Orihime in tow.

As the Arrancar approached, Renji grinned. "Feels like we've come full circle or something."

"I guess we have, in a way," Rukia said as she readied Shirayuki. "Besides, one day he has to realize that sometimes _he'll _have to do the running."

Renji laughed before shouting, "All right! Let's go, you asswipes!" He flung Zabimaru out at the onslaught, his grin never fading.

* * *

Ichigo dashed through the halls of Las Noches, navigating the corridors as best as he could with his limited knowledge. He wasn't sure exactly where he was going, but he knew he had to get Orihime somewhere (relatively) safe so she could heal.

He finally came to a corridor that was deserted and far away from the fighting. He knelt down on the ground and nudged Orihime. "Hey."

She opened her eyes hesitantly, her face still pinched in pain. "Mm?"

"We're safe. Heal yourself," he said as he started to gently set her down on the ground. "I'll keep watch until-" He paused. His brow furrowed, he looked behind him, though there was nothing but empty black space. "Did you hear something?"

"It sounded like footsteps," she said as they both listened.

Two silhouettes emerged from further down the corridor after a minute. When Ichigo recognized their shapes, he immediately lifted up Orihime and held her close as he got into a defensive stance.

"Ara, ara," Ichimaru said as he and Tousen slowly approached the couple. "Look at what we found." His fox-like smile widened.

Ichigo glared at him through his partially broken Hollow mask. He held Orihime close, his mind reeling at the danger they had suddenly landed in.

Tousen reached for his zanpakutou, his face devoid of emotion. He said to Gin, with hesitancy in his voice, "Cornering them may be dangerous. Remember our last encounter with them."

Ichimaru nodded, appearing almost thoughtful for a moment. "Ah yeah. Who could forget?" He pulled out Shinsou, and his smile returned as he continued, "Well, we better just kill 'em before anything happens."

"Put me down," Orihime said to Ichigo. "I'll be fine. We have to fight."

Ichigo couldn't believe how calm Orihime sounded, even though they were probably in greater peril than they had been when they were surrounded by the Arrancar. "I don't know if I can hold them both off at the same time," he murmured into her ear as he slowly began backing up. "And I can't leave you on your own while you heal."

Tousen flash-stepped and reappeared a few meters behind Ichigo. "You cannot escape," he said as he unsheathed his sword. "You mercilessly destroyed our comrade. For this, justice must be delivered."

"Like you considered him your comrade," Ichigo said with a sneer. "That's just an excuse to kill me."

"You and your little woman there," Ichimaru said. "Yer just too dangerous with her around, but just killin' her would be no fun. So we'll take ya both out." He held out Shinsou, aiming it directly at Orihime's head.

Ichigo could see but one option. Closing his eyes, he recalled what he did in training yesterday. If he could just bring out his full Hollow form, it might be enough to defeat Ichimaru and Tousen or at least scare them away. He remembered that emptiness he had felt and tried letting it expand again. Like yesterday, he felt the hole form in his chest. His legs began to shake from the effort, but he persisted, trying to keep the transformation going. His hair began to lengthen, and the fur around his wrists and ankles began to emerge as well.

But it proved to be too much. His strength failed as the hole closed up and he collapsed, panting heavily as he continued to hang onto Orihime with what energy he had left.

"Ichigo-kun!" Orihime said.

"Looks like ya can't call on that form easily," Ichimaru said. "That woulda been a problem if you did. But now ya got nothing left."

Ichigo sensed Tousen shift behind him. _Damn you, _he said to his Hollow. _Help me! How do I do this?_

"_I could have fucking done it, but now you went and blew all our power!" _Shirosaki snapped as Ichigo's mask broke.

In an instant, Shinsou shot out towards them while Tousen called out his shikai, "Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihiko!" The shikai attack sent the dangerous spikes hurtling at them.

Orihime threw up her shield behind Ichigo, and Ichigo tried pulling out his arm clutching Zangetsu to parry Shinsou as best as he could. When it wouldn't budge and he feared the worst, he suddenly saw Shinsou being swung away from him as someone came from the side and struck the sword. Another barrier then came down just in front of Orihime's shield, effectively blocking Suzumushi's spikes.

The Vizards appeared in eight flashes, forming a semi-circle around Ichigo and Orihime. Shinji, Love and Riza had their zanpakutou pressed against Shinsou, keeping it away from Ichigo and Orihime. Hachi stepped next to Ichigo and Orihime while Hiyori planted herself right in front of the couple, standing just behind Shinji. Rose was almost back to back with Ichigo as he faced down Tousen with Mashiro and Kensei behind Hachi's barrier.

"You were right, Rose," Hiyori said with her arms crossed. "They were gonna come after them."

Shinji sighed. "I knew the Arrancar would, but I wasn't sure if these two would. Glad we listened to Rose and went after Ichigo and Orihime-chan."

"Are you all right?" Hachi asked the pair as he knelt down next to them.

"Orihime's injured," Ichigo said. "I brought her here to heal, but then..." He shook his head. "How did you guys-"

"It's not like you're hard to find," Love said drolly. "And with the way you were taking off, we figured something happened."

Suddenly, Tousen stepped towards the barrier. "Move," he said to Kensei and Mashiro. "This is not your battle."

"Battle?" Kensei raised his brow. "One of them is injured and the other one looks ready to collapse. You call that a fair fight?"

"He cannot be allowed to exist." Tousen aimed the tip of Suzumushi at Ichigo. "The world is already a chaotic and dangerous place. A creature such as he threatens what little peace could ever be maintained." He took a step towards him. "Even you cannot-"

"Make another step towards them," Kensei said, his voice dangerously low, "and I'll cut your head off." To emphasize his point, he brought Tachikaze and pointed it at Tousen.

The blind ex-captain froze in surprise, though it wasn't because Kensei drew his weapon at him. "You would protect that beast, after what he did and especially _how _he did it?"

Shinji frowned at Tousen as he looked over his shoulder. "Ichigo's family," he said. "And so's Orihime-chan."

"They're one of us!" Mashiro said, her weapon drawn. "So you gotta get past us if you wanna get them!" she added, sticking out her tongue at Tousen.

"Guys…" Ichigo's eyes widened at their words, at a loss as to what to say further.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Hachi said with an amused smile.

"Well…" Ichigo lowered his gaze to the ground. "I never really knew what you thought of me to be honest. I kind of figured I was a pest."

"You are," Hiyori said. "But it's like I told you, baldy. _We _decide whether you become one of us or not." She gave him a hard stare, though it lacked its usual ferocity. "So take it for what it is and shuddap."

Hachi clapped his hands and formed a square barrier around the couple and himself.

"Keep 'em in there, Hachi," Shinji said as he moved towards Ichimaru. "Hiyori, you stay with 'em and keep a look-out for any Arrancar."

She mumbled under her breath, but for once didn't argue as she leaned back against the barrier. "Whatever. I guess three on each of them is enough."

Tousen got into a fighting stance. "And you call _that _fair?"

"No," Kensei said with a shrug. "But we never claimed to be."

Before anyone could argue further, Mashiro dashed towards Tousen and struck at him with her sword. He parried, and thus the fight began. Kensei came up from behind him, calling out his shikai. The air blades whirled around Tousen, lashing out at him and striking him at random moments. For the most part, he was able to dodge them, though a few of them sliced his arms.

On the other side of the hall, Shinsou was swerving around Sakanade's strikes. Shinji was forced to repeatedly dodge and parry Shinsou as the blade curved around again and again to come at him. Riza raised Haguro Tonbo and brought it down on Shinsou, sending it crashing to the ground and giving Shinji a chance to go for Ichimaru. Love fired Tengumaru's Hifuki no Kozuichi ability at Ichimaru, using it as a sort of smokescreen.

Ichimaru wasn't fooled; he immediately used shunpo to get out of the way. He retracted Shinsou and brought it up to block Shinji's strike as he came from behind.

Tousen sent out Suzumushi's spikes again at his opponents, forcing them to scatter and dodge as the spikes went everywhere. As they slid back, Tousen held up his sword and said, "Ban-"

Rose was having none of it. He called out Kishihara and struck out at Tousen. The whip snapped against the hand holding his zanpakutou, forcing him to drop it and abandon summoning his bankai. Kensei took advantage of the opening and sent some of Tachikaze's air blades at Tousen. Mashiro swerved around Tachikaze's blades and kicked Tousen behind the kneecaps. Tousen buckled from the blow, and seconds later the air blades tore through him.

Ichimaru was having considerably more luck. A more versatile shikai made it easier for him to handle more opponents. He also started having Shinsou tear into one of the walls and leaving the Vizards guessing from where it would emerge from again. He managed to cut them a couple times when Shinsou would come out from somewhere unexpectedly and catch them off guard.

"Gloves are off," Shinji muttered as he held up Sakanade. "Fall, Sakanade!"

Riza and Love immediately halted, keeping their weapons still as Sakanade's ability with into effect. As Shinsou came tearing out of the wall, Sakanade's ability reversed its direction and had it tearing into Gin's back instead of slicing through Riza, who was in front of him.

Ichimaru immediately retracted Shinsou as blood dripped down his side. "Interestin' ability you got there."

Shinji grinned before swinging to the left and striking Ichimaru from the right.

Kensei charged at Tousen, but his former fifth seat, though considerably injured, wasn't done yet. "Hadou #54: Haien!"

Kensei was forced to leap out of the way before the kidou spell could incinerate him. Tousen took advantage of the opportunity and rolled over towards his sword. He felt it under his shoulder and grabbed it. When he got to his feet, he leapt back and said, "Hadou #73: Soren Sokatsui!" The two jets of blue fire shot out, aiming straight for Kensei and company.

"Bakudou #81: Danku!"

The rectangular shield appeared in front of Kensei and Mashiro, who were the closest to Tousen. It stopped Tousen's spell instantly. Its caster appeared from behind Tousen not even two seconds later and said, "Snap, Tobiume!" The fireball slammed into Tousen, sending him stumbling forward.

"All right, enough fucking around," Kensei said. "Rose, Mashiro, let's go."

Rose sped ahead, snapping Kishihara out and wrapping it around Tousen's leg. He yanked him forward, just as Mashiro came up and brought her knee up into Tousen's stomach, sending him up into the air. Kensei guided the air blades towards Tousen, and just as he began falling back to the ground, sent them through his shoulders and legs.

On top of the injuries he had already received, the latest wounds proved too much for Tousen. He fell to the ground, and immobile, he couldn't prevent Momo from casting a binding kidou spell on him, keeping him in place.

With Tousen captured, that left just Ichimaru. Since he had been a prodigy as a child, Ichimaru was clever enough to figure out Sakanade's ability relatively quickly. Still, the constant conscious attention he had to pay to his attacks slowed him down a bit, giving Shinji, Love and Riza more chances to attack.

Ichimaru leapt back, putting some distance between him and his attackers. He reached his arm back to send Shinsou at them when a Quincy arrow tore through it, making him drop his sword.

Hitsugaya appeared behind him following the shot and struck him from behind. Gin was able to dodge, but confined to the narrow hallway, the only way he had to go was back towards Shinji and the other Vizards.

Ishida ran up next to Hitsugaya and fired a volley of arrows at Ichimaru, driving him back further. Riza came tearing up behind Ichimaru and swung Haguro Tonbo at his backside. Love followed up with a swing from Tengumaru at Gin's side. Ishida fired another arrow, this time sending it through his shoulder. They continued to swing and shoot at Ichimaru until he was battered and beaten.

Hitsugaya held out his hand and chanted the incantation for the sixty-third Bakudou, Sajo Sabaku. He then fired it at Ichimaru, and the spirit ropes entangled him, making him immobile.

From behind Hachi's barrier, Ichigo and Orihime watched in awe. "They got them," Ichigo said in surprise.

Hitsugaya sheathed his sword. "Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname," he began as he walked towards them. "You're both under arrest. Finally," he said, the last part muttered under his breath.

* * *

**A/N: **Phew, they're finally captured! And in case anyone was wondering, the part when Renji "used Ichigo's words against him" is a reference to Chapter 152 of the manga, when Ichigo threw Rukia towards Renji and he told her to take her out of there. Remember? Anyway, next chapter will be the conclusion of this entire post-war aftermath and the move towards the beginning of the last stretch/arc/whathaveyou of TBBU. 'Til next time :)


	23. Chapter 23

Yeah this is late, I apologize. It's the end of the semester right now so it's crunch time. The next chapter might be a bit late as well since my muse has been utterly shot thanks to the workload.

Anyway, this chapter is kind of... odd. For one thing, it's the shortest chapter yet and secondly, it's very un-IchiHime since it doesn't have Ichigo nor Orihime in it. So yeah, very strange little chapter. And lots of you are going to shoot me for either what happens at the end of the first part or the ending. *puts up shield*

I'm in a bit of a rush so I can't do shout-outs, but many, many thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm STILL not getting notifications for reviews so I'm sorry again if I didn't respond to your review; I've read them all at the very least. Extra thanks to my beta-readers for looking over this and fixing it. Without further ado, here's Chapter 23.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

_Loose ends and good-byes_

Six days: that's how long Tousen and Ichimaru were imprisoned in Soul Society. Their trials were conducted swiftly, for there was no doubt of their treachery, and the two former captains did not plead otherwise. Although Yamamoto remained comatose, a temporary body replacing the Central 46 had been formed in the weeks following Aizen's defeat. This council, along with some of the senior captains of the Gotei 13, ran the trials and sentenced Ichimaru and Tousen to death.

On the dawn of the seventh day of their imprisonment, they were to be executed. This shocked no one. However, a few were grieved. Komamura, Rangiku, Hisagi and Kira would probably be the only ones who would truly grieve the traitors' deaths, but perhaps it was fortuitous for Ichimaru and Tousen that they should have anyone miss them at all.

However, before their friends could come and visit them on what would be their last full day alive, Tousen was visited by an unexpected guest early that morning on the sixth day.

Like Ichimaru, he was being held in a solitary confinement cell in the second division out of contact with everyone, even the guards who watched over his cell. He was sitting on his bed, staring at the far wall (for he had nothing else to do, really) when a portal suddenly opened in his cell. Tousen recognized it as the one used by the Royal Guard.

The Guard that stepped out motioned to Tousen for him to remain quiet as he cast a kidou spell over the cell door. Once it was executed, he nodded. "I'd rather they not overhear us."

"Nori-san," Tousen said, addressing Commander Kurou's right hand man, "why are you here?"

"I wonder," Nori said, a frown appearing in his expression. "Here you are, captured and jailed without being able to fulfill your mission. It'd be a shame to let that happen."

Tousen's own frown turned pensive. "We hadn't expected Soul Society to move so suddenly. Even so, we made some preparations but… some of the Arrancar turned."

"Oh?"

"They were offered a way out. All they had to do was simply refuse to fight and they were allowed to leave without harm. Former Espada arranged this with Soul Society," he explained, venom filling his voice as he went on. "They betrayed everything they had stood for with Aizen-sama."

"Traitors, then?" Nori said. "Aren't you one to talk about betrayal? Consider why you're in your current predicament."

"My loyalty has been with Aizen-sama for over one hundred years!" Tousen said with vehemence. "I never once betrayed him!"

"But you turned your back on the institution that took you in."

"The Gotei 13 meant little to me, even back then. I wanted justice for my friend and to see her ideals carried on. In Aizen-sama, I saw a better way. It would have been more of a betrayal had I not joined Aizen-sama and-"

"Justify it however you want," Nori said, cutting him off. "I don't care much for your ideals. I understand, however, your drive to continue Aizen's plans even after his death."

Tousen nodded gravely. "I can never be what Aizen-sama was, and though I would not try to invade the Royal Realm in light of our alliance, I will still settle for what you offered us." He clenched his fist. "Allow us another chance. I understand now the Arrancar are not to be trusted. Revenge drove me blind to common sense. I should not make that mistake again."

For a moment, Nori regarded Tousen thoughtfully. Then, he broke out into a fit of laughter. Tousen listened in shock as Nori's cruel laughs bounced off the walls of his tiny cell. As he calmed himself down, he wiped away a stray tear and said, "Beautiful! I really had you going there, didn't I?"

Tousen's eyes widened. "You-"

"I never had any intention of breaking you out. We're done with you. Still," he said, his expression composed, "I should thank you and Ichimaru. If it weren't for you two, we would never have found who we were searching for. Now that we have, we no longer require you. He'll suit our needs just fine."

"What about our arrangement?" Tousen demanded, getting to his feet. "You promised us rule over the Gotei 13!"

"We can manage them just fine," Nori said with a dismissive snort. "It's not like we're short on people. Really, we just played along to see what you would do, but it paid off rather well."

Resigned to his fate, Tousen collapsed back onto the bed. In a low voice, he said, "Will you also deceive Ichimaru and goad him, the same way you did with me?"

"No. To be honest, Ichimaru never seemed that interested." Nori tapped his cheek thoughtfully. "I never quite understood him. He didn't have the same ambition you did or the will to carry out our plan. I wonder if he cared at all." He shrugged, not caring either way. "It doesn't matter. But I won't bother him with this. It was risky enough even coming here to talk to you."

Tousen said nothing as Nori's portal reappeared. As he started to walk back towards it, he said, "Good-bye, Tousen Kaname. I'm rather sorry you won't get to see our plans come to fruition and see a new era ushered in." With those departing words, he walked through the gate. It shut behind him, leaving Tousen alone again in his small cell.

"Forgive me, Aizen-sama," Tousen said as his head hung low. "I could not honor your memory and do justice to your plans. Perhaps the next time we meet, whoever we may be, I can redeem myself."

* * *

Later that day, when the sun was high in the sky, Rangiku was walking into the restricted area of the second division where Ichimaru and Tousen were being held. She had been allowed a temporary return to Soul Society to say her good-byes. Although she hadn't questioned why they had felt generous enough to allow her this, she suspected her captain played a part in it.

She approached the two sentries who stood guard at the entrance to Ichimaru's confinement cell. There was no view of inside the cell, save for a small window at the top of the door. The door and walls were heavily built and reinforced; it would have taken a small army to knock it down.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou!" the guard on the left greeted her.

"I'm here to see him," Rangiku said.

"Yes," the other guard said. "We were told to expect you. Go on in. You have an hour."

She nodded and began to approach the door. Suddenly she paused and asked, "Was Kira-fukutaichou here?"

"Ah, yes," the guard on the left said. "About an hour or so ago."

_So he already said his good-byes, _she thought. _I'm the last friendly face Gin will ever see. _Swallowing her anguish, she said calmly, "I see," before entering.

The heavy door shut behind her. She stood at the end of a long hallway. At the other side, she could make out iron bars and a figure sitting on a bed. Although her heart seemed like it was going to burst, Rangiku kept her steps even as she walked towards Gin's cell.

He lifted his head and gave her his usual smile as she approached. "I was hopin' I'd get to see ya," he said cheerfully.

"Gin…" Rangiku sighed, unsure as to what to say.

"Ara ara," he said, his smile falling for a moment. "What's with that face?"

"Why do you think, you dolt?" Rangiku sighed in exasperation.

"I know." Gin glanced at the far wall. "But I'd rather remember seeing ya smile than frownin' like that."

"There's not much to smile about."

"Yeah there is," he said. He turned back to her, his smile having returned. "Ya got the bad guys, and yer mission's done. It's when you go out and have a drink with yer buddies and celebrate."

She doubted she would be drinking tonight, or if she did, it wouldn't be to celebrate anything. She leaned against the bars as she stared at Ichimaru. "Gin," she finally said after a long pause. "Why did you do this?"

Whether he was surprised at her question or not, she didn't know. Even though she was closest with Gin, she could hardly read him better than anyone else. He sighed lightly and answered, "To be honest, I'm not sure when I look back on it. I thought I could avenge Aizen-sama but the longer things went on, the more I realized my heart really wasn't into it. It wasn't the same."

"Avenge him? By coming after us?"

He remained quiet, his smile never fading.

Rangiku crossed her arms and sat on the ground, looking more frustrated by the minute. A part of her wanted to press him more on the subject, but a larger part didn't want to. This was _her _last meeting with Gin. She would not waste it with a fruitless interrogation. "Say…"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember that one year we had such a huge blizzard that we were snowed in for two days?" She smiled softly as she recalled that storm from their childhood. "You opened the door that morning and all the snow fell on you. I never saw you so flabbergasted as you were when I pulled you out."

Gin smiled with her, a more sincere smile than what he usually wore. "Yeah. I remember you wouldn't stop laughin' at me. I don't think I ever saw you laugh so hard."

"I didn't laugh much in those days," she said thoughtfully.

"There wasn't much to laugh about."

"Yeah there was. I just didn't realize it." Had she known how things would turn out, that one day she would saying good-bye to her childhood friend like this, she would have been far more grateful and enjoyed what she had back then. _I almost want those days back. They were hard, but at the same time things were so much simpler._

"Then there was the time," Gin began, disrupting her thoughts, "when we were at that festival."

"The summer one?"

"Yeah." His smile was nostalgic as he continued, "It was right around when ya got into the Academy. We went out to celebrate and ya got drunk."

Rangiku smiled wryly. "Oh I know. I knocked over a stand and I had to push my boobs into the guy's face so he wouldn't make us pay for it. _You _were laughing, at least."

"How couldn't I? I think that was the first time I saw you practically molest someone in public to get out of trouble."

"I'm a bit shameless," she admitted as she sat down on the floor, still leaning against the cage bars. "I was even back then."

That's how their conversation went for the next hour. Neither one of them seemed willing to bring up the events during the war or the ones following it, but choosing instead to reminisce about the past, back before shinigami and Aizen entered into their lives. They talked of their childhood days, both good and bad. They remembered poignant conversations they had over a dim fire and later, when they were older, over cups of sake. They laughed about comical mishaps and blunders they had made. Everything they shared in their last hour together brought forth good memories, at least until the last two minutes.

A loud pounding on the door interrupted their conversation. "Two more minutes, Matsumoto-fukutaichou!"

Rangiku sighed, knowing the dreaded departure was almost upon them. She turned back towards Gin, who was still sitting as he had been when she had first come. "Before I go, there's one thing I want to ask you. And I want you to be honest with me. All my life, I always felt you hid something from me, were always just a step shy of the truth. I understand why now, but in our last moment, I want to be able to walk away knowing you were completely honest."

She swallowed, bracing herself as she asked, "That day, when you left Soul Society with Aizen…"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean what you said?" Her eyes pleaded with him to tell her the truth, no matter how much it hurt. "Were you really sorry?"

He allowed her the chance to see his eyes as he opened them, something he so rarely did. His blue eyes bore into hers as he answered, "Yeah. I really was."

She smiled slightly, even though this was the end. "Okay. That's all I needed to know." With a heavy heart she got to her feet. She stood in front of his cell, her arms at her side. "Thank you."

The door down the hall opened, signaling Rangiku that her visit was over. Sighing quietly, trying to push back the dread, she said, "Good-bye, Gin."

His eyes still open, he answered with the saddest smile she had ever seen him wear, "Good-bye, Rangiku."

It took everything she had to turn herself around and walk towards the door. Each step felt heavier the closer she got to the exit. Yet somehow she made it there. As she passed the door, she couldn't help but turn around to see him one last time. His eyes were still on her. She met his gaze and forced herself to smile, so that his last image of her would be of her smiling, even though it hurt her so much to smile.

She kept that smile on, even as the door began to close. They kept their gazes locked for as long as they could. Her hand balled into a fist at her side to stop herself from shaking as the door slammed shut, forever barring her from her friend. It was only then, with the door shut and Gin out of sight forever that she allowed her smile to fall.

* * *

She had held back her tears and her grief until she got back to her room. Shutting herself inside, she spent the rest of the night and early morning gazing out the window, her eyes trained in the direction of Gin's jail cell. She hadn't taken a sip of sake or any other alcoholic beverage; she felt too sick to drink.

When dawn broke, she felt Gin's reiatsu in the distance. She focused on it as its owner made his way to where he was to be executed. Her hands trembled as she curled up into a ball on the chair, waiting for the inevitable to happen. It did; not even a half hour after Gin left his jail cell, she felt his reiatsu disappear. In an instant it was gone, just like a candle snuffed out.

She buried her face into her folded arms and cried. In the privacy of her room, she could let her emotions escape. There was no holding back this grief, anyway. So she let herself grieve for the man she had loved and cared about ever since she was a child. Tomorrow, when she returned to the human world, she would have to try and put on a brave face, but for this morning, she allowed herself this much.

* * *

Just outside Rangiku's door, Hitsugaya listened as his vice-captain broke down. He grimaced at the pain it brought him. Momo had suggested earlier that he should go to her when dawn came, but he knew Rangiku would prefer to be left alone in her grief.

Still, it was hard to stand by and listen to her while doing nothing. He was helpless, and he hated that more than anything. But what could he do anyway? He couldn't bring Ichimaru back, he couldn't erase what he had done. Ichimaru had chosen his path, and Hitsugaya would have been fine with letting him suffer the consequences, save for the fact that it broke his vice-captain's heart in the process.

_Damn it, _he thought as he leaned his head forward. He wanted to curse Ichimaru, but it didn't feel entirely right at the moment. _No, damn you, Aizen. Damn you to hell for hurting Matsumoto and Hinamori. _He clenched his fists, wishing he could pound on the infernal man some more, but he was dead and hopefully rotting away somewhere, if there was any justice in the world.

_Where's the victory in this? We completed our mission and cleaned up the mess left in the war's aftermath, but there's no sense of accomplishment. _He clenched his jaw. _Because there's no victory in seeing the survivors suffer, there's nothing to gain from it but regret. Komamura and Hisagi will move on. Kira will move on. Even Matsumoto will move past this. But it won't change a thing. There will be no forgetting this._

He sighed quietly, not wanting to alert Rangiku to his presence. _No, this is one of the few times I hate being a shinigami. This is the price we pay for it. _

_I just wish it wasn't such a high price. _

_

* * *

_

In the Royal Realm, Nori was walking alongside Commander Kurou down one of the grand halls of the Royal Palace. Nori was reiterating his conversation with Tousen to the Commander. "They're dead by now, I imagine," he finished as they passed an old majestic tapestry.

Kurou nodded in satisfaction. "Good. That's one loose end tied up. With them gone and our plan set, we're ready to take the next step. But not immediately."

"Why not?"

"Soul Society is still on their guard," Kurou explained. "Although the remaining traitors have been rounded up and dealt with, they'll be waiting at least a few days more to make sure nothing else happens, namely with those Arrancar or whatever in Hueco Mundo."

Nori frowned in puzzlement. "Are they expecting an attack?"

"They'll be expecting anything," Kurou said with an amused smile. "The Gotei 13 are generally paranoid by nature, which is why we need to wait until they feel safe. A few days more, I imagine. Then we can proceed."

Nori nodded, although something still seemed to be bothering him. Voicing his worry, he said hesitantly, "But even when the shinigami pull out of Karakura, there are capable fighters that live in town."

"They won't be a problem," Kurou said. He paused near a stained glass window, seemingly admiring its art and color, his eyes roving over the famous scene of the crowning of the first Reiou. "The only formidable opponents there are Isshin and Masaki, and their powers would have been sealed. We have nothing to fret over."

"I apologize," his assistant said with a bow. "I did not mean to show a lack of faith. It's just..."

"I understand," Kurou said with a smirk. "We've waited this long. Impatience is understandable. But this is when we must exercise our patience the most. One slip now will ruin everything." He clenched his fist in the air. "Soul Society will be governed by its rightful ruler once again, and Isshin and Masaki will suffer for their betrayal."

"It doesn't get much better than that, does it?"

"No." Kurou grinned manically. "No, it doesn't."

Princess Yuuki had heard enough. She ran from her hiding spot in one of the corridors adjacent to the hall Nori and Kurou were walking down. Trying to keep her steps light and quiet, she made her way to a stairwell and quickly climbed it.

_I have to warn Isshin and Masaki, _she thought determinedly as she clambered over the top of the stairs and hurried towards her room in the east wing. _Then I'll warn the Gotei 13. They may not be on par with the Guard but their knowing should be enough to deter Kurou from acting out his plans._

As she rounded the corner that led into the foyer of the east wing, she saw Hikifune walking with two of her colleagues. The one to her left was El, a short man with purple hair in a short Mohawk who was also the youngest member of the Guard. On Hikifune's right was Mara, her assistant with sandy-colored hair, big boobs and an attitude to boot. Strange people to be sure, but Yuuki trusted them as much as she trusted Hikifune. It was why she was so glad to see them as she ran up to them. "Hikifune! El! Mara!"

"Your Highness?" El said in surprise at her worried expression. "Did something happen?"

"Did the barrack toilets overflow again?" Mara said with a deadpan expression.

"No!" Yuuki was panting by the time she reached them. "It's Kurou. He's going to enact his plan soon!"

"Did he say when?" Hikifune asked.

Yuuki shook her head. "No. At least a few days, though. Which is why I need to get to the human world and warn Isshin."

Hikifune blinked in bewilderment. "Your Highness, you can't-"

"I know it's forbidden!" Yuuki waved off her protests. "But this is an emergency! I must go now!"

She brushed past them to get to her room and the three Guard members, deciding it was best not to argue with her, walked after her, matching her hasty, long strides. "What would you have us do?" El asked.

"If possible," Yuuki began, glancing around to make sure no one else was around, "contact the Gotei 13 and warn them about Kurou."

"Contact them?" Mara raised her brow. "Princess, we've never had reason or means to contact them before."

"We do now!" she retorted, and Mara fell silent. "Tell them they had been working with Ichimaru and Tousen and that they are endangering a human family."

"Good enough," Hikifune agreed as they approached Yuuki's room. "I will contact them. I'm sure some of the captains there will remember me. What else?"

"Keep Kurou and his lackeys in the dark until everyone is warned," the princess said as she opened her bedroom door. "If they ask about my absence, tell them I have business in the city."

Yuuki ducked into her room. Walking around her bed, she pulled open her closet door and grabbed a traveling cloak and some sturdier boots. As she donned them, she continued, "If things get really bad and the situation gets out of control, or if Kurou decides to make his move early, bring my father out of meditation. Say I ordered it and that it's an emergency, which it damn well is."

Hikifune nodded solemnly, even as the other two gaped in shock. "Understood."

"Right." Yuuki grabbed her short sword from its perch against her bureau and made for the door. "We'll play the rest by ear according to what happens. Hopefully we can stop this before it can come to fruition."

"Do you know where Isshin and Masaki are?" El asked quietly as they walked back down the hallway they came from.

"Yes." Yuuki slowed her steps for a moment, her thoughts turning elsewhere. "When they left, they told my father and me where they were going. We swore we wouldn't tell anyone else, and we haven't." Yuuki vividly remembered Masaki saying something about having friends in a place called Karakura. "They're in Japan, in the capital. I'll go there now and try to find them. Even with their powers sealed, it shouldn't take-"

She immediately froze when she saw Ryou and several members of the Guard waiting for them in the east wing foyer. Her heartbeat accelerated, but she forced herself to sound calm as she addressed them, "Hello, everyone. Is something the matter?"

"You seem to be in a rush, Your Highness," Ryou said with a smirk. "Perhaps _we _should be asking you the same."

"I have important business in town which I am late for," she lied.

"Business, eh?" Ryou chuckled as he walked up to her. "Pray do tell, what business?"

"My business is none of your concern," she answered coolly. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hikifune take a step towards Ryou. "Now if you excuse me, I need to be off."

"The only place you're going," Commander Kurou said as he entered the foyer, flanked by Nori and more Guard members, "is to your room under house arrest."

"Excuse me?" Yuuki said, her voice low. "On what grounds, Kurou?"

"For conceiving a plot to disrupt the Royal Realm," he answered with a placid smile. Yuuki could see the malicious gleam in his eyes. "And to bring ruin to it."

"That's bullshit!" Mara shouted as she drew her sword. "The only one striving for that is you!"

Hikifune brought her fingers to her mouth and let out a low whistle. As she took a few steps towards Ryou to bar him from Yuuki, about a dozen or so Guard, likely the remaining members of the Guard that weren't already in the foyer, descended the stairs. They drew the swords on Hikifune's cue.

Kurou merely smirked before he flash-stepped. Immediately he was in front of Hikifune and rammed his sword through her torso. Yuuki screamed as Hikifune collapsed, blooding spilling from her wound. "Any further acts of rebellion will be punished by death," Kurou said calmly as El flew to Hikifune's side. "Now, place the princess under house arrest and jail everyone who is siding with her and Hikifune."

"No, let me go!" Yuuki screamed as two men of the Guard grabbed her and pulled her away towards her room. "Hikifune! HIKIFUNE!"

El gritted his teeth as he was surrounded by Kurou's subordinates. "Idiots, all of you," he said as he hovered over Hikifune, as if trying to shield her.

Mara sheathed her sword when Kurou aimed the tip of his at her. "You're only asking for ruin," she said to him. "Isshin'll gut you like a fish if you touch his child."

"I'd love to see him try," Kurou said with a laugh, "considering his powers are sealed. Now, if you'll be on your way to the dungeon, there's a nice prison cell waiting for you all." He smiled in triumph as Mara, El, and the other Guard that had showed up to help Yuuki were escorted with swords at their necks. Hikifune had to be carried. As a Guard walked past Kurou with Hikifune in tow, the Commander added, "Send for a medic for her. I don't want her to die and miss what's about to happen."

As the room cleared, only Kurou, Nori and Ryou were left standing in the foyer. Ryou grinned as he stretched his back. "That takes care of that. What's next?"

"We wait," Kurou said. "Yes, we will wait three days. On the third day, we will go to the human world to capture Kurosaki Ichigo."

* * *

**A/N: **Don't you love cliffhangers?

Okay, okay, I know some of you are probably ready to REAM me for Gin's fate, but please let me attempt to explain myself: I am fully aware he was revealed to be a good guy in the canon and I was pretty okay with that. His actions were questionable and the way in which he went about things were... well, not so good, but his intentions were decent. However, as I've said time and time again but I'll say it anyway, this whole story concept was developed shortly after the Lust Arc concluded which was over two years ago, and I canNOT include anything that happened after Chapter 352. By the time I started writing this and posting it on here, I pretty much had most of the story planned out and I haven't made many changes to it since then. I needed Gin and Tousen to be bad guys for the sake of this story's plot, so I kept them that way even after Gin was revealed to be otherwise. So I'm really sorry to any Gin fans out there; I don't have anything against the guy, but I've got the plot to consider here.

Anyway, I'm sure many of you will still be mad, I just thought I'd try explaining things. Otherwise, enjoy that cliffhanger and the rest of your day XD


	24. Chapter 24

*dodges thrown Molotov cocktails* I know, I know. Very very very late. Unfortunately, I hit a brick wall this chapter, climbed over it, fell into a moat, crawled out, then proceeded to trip into a field of land mines before being blown into a thorn patch which I had to crawl out of on hands and knees. That pretty much sums up how difficult this chapter was, and honestly, I don't know why. But it's here, at least.

Thanks to **le etoile **for looking over this chapter. And tons of thanks to you reviewers, since we've reached over 400 reviews. That's so amazing. I NEVER thought I'd get so many, so thank you all so much for it. I will start replying to reviews again next chapter. I'm still not getting notifications from here, so what I'll do is reply to them before I update the next chapter. It'll be easier that way.

Just as a last note, I know a lot of you sort of did a 'wtf?' with the last chapter. I know there were a lot of questions, too. I hope they're rhetorical because I can't answer them, honestly, without spoiling the story. Just know it was sort of meant to be a head-scratcher and that we're only 2/3 of the way through this story. There is time yet to explain things, trust me. Now I'll shut up and let you read.

* * *

**Chapter 24**

_Meet the Kurosakis_

Christmas Eve had arrived rather unexpectedly. Between the fighting and all the drama that had taken place as a result, everyone had been too preoccupied to notice that Christmas was just around the corner. It wasn't until many of the humans and stationed shinigami in town woke up that Friday and realized that it was the 24th.

To celebrate the upcoming holiday and the start of the school break (and to get the grieving Matsumoto out of doors), Rukia had invited Orihime, Momo, Rangiku and Tatsuki out to breakfast that morning. In the end, they all decided on a small café not far from Orihime's apartment. It was warm but private, allowing them to discuss various things, if they chose to, that regular humans shouldn't know about.

Yet the conversation stubbornly stayed away from anything related to Soul Society, to the silent relief of all the women. "What are everyone's plans for today?" Tatsuki asked casually as they sat down at their table.

"I have dinner at Ichigo-kun's tonight," Orihime said sheepishly, her smile nervous.

"And I'll be there, of course," Rukia said with a grin.

For the first time all day, Rangiku seemed mildly interested in what anyone was talking about as she glanced at Orihime. "Is that today already?"

"Yeah. I can't believe it." Orihime twirled her hair on her finger. "I'm really going to meet his family after everything I've heard about them."

"Are they really that crazy?" Momo asked skeptically.

The waiter came and interrupted their conversation briefly, asking everyone for order for their drinks. After everyone's order was placed and the waiter walked away, Tatsuki answered Momo, "Honestly, it's just his dad. His sisters are pretty normal. They have their quirks like everyone else, but if you just met the kids they'd seem pretty sane. It's when you throw in Kurosaki Isshin that the insanity starts."

"Uncle," Rukia began, her smile amused, "has this way of bringing out the craziness in anyone."

"More like he just knows how to drive Ichigo and Karin mad," Tatsuki said dryly. "I don't know how Yuzu puts up with it."

When Orihime looked a little worried, Rangiku said, "You'll be fine. I'm sure they'll love you the moment they meet you." She smiled, but it lacked its usual enthusiasm and energy.

"You don't have anything to worry about," Tatsuki said as she slung a congenial arm around Orihime's shoulders. "Trust me, Isshin's already got you pegged as a winner-"

"If anything for the mere fact that you're dating Ichigo and therefore doing him a great service," Rukia cut in with a grin.

"-and Yuzu will be attentive and sweet as always. The only one you _might _have to worry about is Karin." Despite her words, Tatsuki didn't seem at all concerned about the matter. "And I only say her because she has the most sense. I'm sure you'll have the entire family wrapped around your finger by the end of the night."

Orihime's mouth dropped. "I don't want to do that! I just want to make a good impression. Especially since last time-"

When she stopped, Rukia and the others looked at her in confusion. "Last time?" Rukia asked.

Orihime glanced away from the table. "Well, I say I'm meeting them, but truthfully, I have met them once before. I brought Onii-chan there when he… after the accident. But I wasn't really in the right frame of mind and it's all sort of a blur."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table, with each girl struggling to think of something to say. Fortunately, the waiter came back with their drinks, breaking up the tension as he handed them out and began to take everyone's order. When he jotted them all down and left, the quiet returned.

Tatsuki was the one to break it once it grew too uncomfortable. "This time is different," she said to Orihime. "While I'm sure that they remember what happened, they won't let it get in the way of tonight. You're Ichigo's first girlfriend. Trust me, that's _all _they're going to be focused on."

"And getting to know you," Rukia added. "They're extremely curious. It's all they've been talking about the past few days. By the way, come hungry. Yuzu is going to cook up a storm."

"Oh my," Orihime murmured in amazement. "They really don't have to go through all that trouble."

"They want to," Rukia insisted. "I've never seen them this excited about anything since I've been here. I'm sure they're also as nervous as you are. Someone's who so important to Ichigo…" Her smile softened as she thought about Ichigo's family. Throughout their conversations about Orihime and the impending dinner, Rukia had been able to detect the nervousness hidden beneath their excitement. "They want to make a good impression, too." Well, Karin and Yuzu did. Isshin said he wanted to as well, but Rukia knew better than to think that would mean he'd be on his best behavior.

Orihime slightly shook her head in wonder. "Sometimes I can't imagine how I got here. In my life, I mean. Some mornings I wake up and I still think I'm just the girl with a crush on Ichigo-kun and that he has no idea. Then I realize that's no longer true. Somehow in such a short amount of time, we've gone from that to being in love with each other, and now I'm going to meet his family." She laughed nervously; not that it was funny, but she had to do something to relieve the tension. "It's sort of overwhelming but I can't imagine life without it."

Tatsuki suddenly snapped her head up, surprised etched in her expression. "Wait. Did he tell you?"

"That he loves me?" Orihime asked, blushing at the thought. "Y – Yeah. He told me."

"_Finally,_" Tatsuki muttered as Rukia grinned. "I was afraid he never would."

"That's wonderful!" Momo said, clapping her hands together once in delight.

Even Rangiku smiled, this time the emotion reaching her eyes as well. "You two have come a long way," she said.

"A lot has happened in a few weeks," Rukia said with her arms crossed. "I think you two have handled things pretty well, save for one or two hiccups."

"Isn't that a bit of an understatement?" Tatsuki said with a raised eyebrow. "We literally had to drag and beat up Ichigo at one point."

"Well, yes, but to be honest I think things could have gone a lot worse," Rukia countered. "That incident was the worst of it, and it was something that was going to have to be addressed at some point."

Orihime smiled faintly. "What was so bad about that, I think, was that Ichigo-kun wasn't just afraid for me, he was afraid for all of us. He was afraid of himself, too. So it was something everyone needed to talk to him about and clear up. He stumbles sometimes; it's because he tries to bear so many burdens all alone. We have some issues to deal with yet, and I'm sure both of us will make mistakes along the way. What matters is that we get through it."

"Yes, you'll both stumble," Rukia agreed. "All you have to do is understand that it'll happen, help the other up, and you'll be fine."

Orihime nodded, but from the corner of her eye she saw Momo looking contemplative. She glanced over to see the small vice-captain seriously considering something. "Hinamori-san?"

"You and Kurosaki-chan… you have a very healthy love, don't you?" she said.

"Um, I like to think so," Orihime said, confused as to why Momo was asking that.

"They do," Rangiku said with a nod.

Momo nodded and went back to contemplating whatever it was that was on her mind. Before Orihime or the other girls could ask, Rangiku added, "By the way, where is Ichigo?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "He's with Renji and some of the guys. Part of the reason I suggested we have a day out was so that Ichigo could go out and get some shopping done."

"Shopping?" Tatsuki asked. "For what?"

* * *

"What do you mean you haven't bought Inoue-san anything for Christmas?" Keigo said, his mouth hung open in shock.

"It means exactly that!" Ichigo snapped. "I never had a girlfriend before so I never had to worry about it! Then it just snuck up on me." He shoved his hands into his pockets, his expression glum as he walked down the street alongside Keigo, Mizuiro, Renji, Uryuu and Chad.

Renji scratched his head. "So we're going shopping." He sounded less than enthused.

"I know what I'm getting her," Ichigo muttered. "I just have to find it."

"That's a start," Ishida said, pushing his glasses back. "What exactly do you intend to buy? Perhaps we can all look and hurry this up."

"A charm bracelet. Just a bracelet. I don't need the charms."

"Then why get her a charm bracelet?" Keigo asked.

"Because I already _have _the charms for it, dumbass," Ichigo said.

"Are you making them?" Chad asked.

Unable to hide the blush creeping up into his cheeks, Ichigo glanced away. "Y – Yeah. A couple. Yuzu and Karin are gonna help me. They said that handmade charms would be nicer." He shrugged. "Also have a few at home. Yuzu and Karin each wanna give her one, and Dad's letting me give her one of my mom's."

"Any of the local jewelers around here would have some bracelets," Mizuiro said, not looking up from his phone. "I think there's a decent one two blocks from here."

"Let's go let's go!" Keigo shouted as he ran past them. "The sooner we get this done the better! Then we can eat!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he shuffled after Keigo, his friends following him. Keigo eventually slowed down, letting them catch up to him. When they approached the jeweler's, Ichigo went right inside as the others waited outside. It was a short trip. He immediately went up to the counter, asked to look at some bracelets, and within five minutes had made a purchase. Admittedly, it was a bit of a hit to his wallet, but it wasn't nearly as much as he was expecting.

He walked out of the store and nodded to his friends. "Done."

"That was quick," Ishida noted. "Did you even _look_?"

"Yes," Ichigo said through gritted teeth. He pulled out the bracelet for inspection. "Here."

The Quincy took the proffered bracelet and examined it closely. "Small chains?"

"The bigger ones would just look bad on her," Ichigo retorted.

"I agree. Her wrists are smaller so it would look rather ridiculous if she wore a bracelet with large chains." He handed it back to Ichigo. "Not bad."

"Gee, glad I have your approval," Ichigo muttered dryly as he carefully put the bracelet back into the bag. "If we're done scrutinizing my purchases, can we get going?"

"You're the one who had to do the last minute shopping," Ishida said.

"Shove it. At least I knew what I wanted to get her. I just… sort of forgot about it."

"I suppose that's a step in the right direction." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ishida mumbled, "I swear though, I don't understand what she sees in you sometimes."

Whether he intended for Ichigo to hear or not was debatable, but if he did, he certainly didn't get the response he was expecting. Instead of flying off the handle, Ichigo merely shrugged and said, "Hell if I know. I don't even know why she likes me sometimes, let alone loves me."

While Ichigo's comment had intended to be nonchalant, it certainly surprised the other guys. Mizuiro actually looked up from his phone and said, "She told you?"

"What? Oh." With his shoulders hunched he said, "Yeah."

Ishida's eyes narrowed. "Kurosaki-"

"Yes I freaking told her!" Ichigo snapped, knowing immediately what Ishida was going to say. "_Geez, _I'm not that tactless. Hell, I'm the one who said it first!"

"It's about time," Renji said with a raised eyebrow.

"Tch." Ichigo looked ahead, his scowl returning. "You're one to talk."

Renji immediately stopped in his tracks. "What?" he barked, his tone harsh.

The unexpected shift in tone had the others pausing in their steps. Ichigo stopped as well, though he was still looking straight ahead. "I _said, _you're one to talk."

When his words were met with silence, he sighed and said, "I don't know how… maybe it's from being in a relationship, but I've started noticing stuff like that. I've always known you two were close, and maybe somewhere along the way I started suspecting but…" He scratched the back of his head. "Hell, maybe it's because I was in the same spot just a couple weeks ago."

Renji frowned, trying to mask his surprise from earlier. "What're you-"

"Don't play stupid. Yeah, it might have taken me a bit to tell Orihime, but you've made Rukia wait forty years and counting. You don't have much room to talk."

"It's not that simple, Ichigo," Renji said in a low voice, surprising the other guys by admitting to what Ichigo was suggesting. "Things aren't as simple in Soul Society as they are here."

Ichigo let out a bark of laughter, though there was no humor behind it. "You think things are _simple _here? That's debatable, but whatever. I know what you're getting at. Byakuya doesn't have any right to stand between you and Rukia."

"He's my captain."

"This isn't a shinigami thing. This is personal. And yeah, I know he's also Rukia's older brother and the head of a noble clan. So what?" For the first time since their exchange began, Ichigo looked over his shoulder at Renji, his eyes hard. "You're a vice-captain. Doesn't that make you on par with the nobles?"

Renji nearly gawked. "How the hell do you know about that?"

"Rukia's told me a lot about Soul Society, even stuff I didn't really care to know about." When Renji looked away, Ichigo's mouth fell into a determined line. "If you don't feel like you're on her level yet, then become a captain. You have bankai, so you can pass the test. If you're a captain then Byakuya can't dispute it no matter what he might think."

Ichigo turned back around, shouldering the jewelry store bag. "You're not some dog from the slums anymore; you're a vice-captain. Act like one." He began walking, his pace slow. "Besides, didn't Byakuya marry a commoner? I don't think he has much room to gripe then. Who knows; the uptight ass might even surprise you." Shoving his free hand into his pocket, he continued, "You owe it to her to try at least. Now let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

* * *

Thoughtful conversations and Ichigo being surprisingly acute aside, the rest of the morning passed rather uneventfully for both parties. Breakfast was eaten and lighter conversations were had (though Renji remained suspiciously silent throughout most of the meal). By noon the groups had split up and everyone had gone to their respective homes or the places they were staying at.

Ichigo hadn't stayed home long. He literally walked in the door, went up to his room, deposited Orihime's gift in a safe hiding place, gone back downstairs and shouted he'd be back later. He had almost made it out the door when Yuzu popped her head out of the kitchen and made Ichigo promise that he _would _be back for dinner and yes, Orihime _would also _be with him.

He was out of there in a blink of an eye and he hurried towards Orihime's house, determined to squeeze out a few peaceful hours with her before he brought her into the insanity that was his household later that night. Orihime had _no _idea what she was getting herself into, and Ichigo only had himself to blame for that. If he had just remembered his damn key, or even bothered to climb in through his bedroom window, this wouldn't be happening.

He wished that this was all happening a few months (at the very least) down the line. He had wanted to stabilize their relationship and go at their own pace before throwing her at his family. He knew the meeting was inevitable, just not so soon. Again, he had only himself to blame – or did he?

If his Hollow hadn't snuck off into Orihime's mind and scared the shit out of her, Ichigo would never have had to run to her house like the sometimes (read as: always) overprotective, worrywart of a boyfriend he was. If he hadn't had to sneak out to make sure she was okay, then he would never have had to sneak back in and this dinner wouldn't be happening. In short, it was _his Hollow's _fault and he was more than happy to place the blame on it.

_"Thanks, King,"_ the Hollow retorted dryly from somewhere in the deep reaches of Ichigo's mind.

He told his Hollow to shove off, being in no mood to deal with him. Although tonight promised insanity and likely embarrassment, at least he would be doing something (relatively) normal. His girlfriend was meeting his family. That was about as normal and commonplace as one could get. Even though in some ways he dreaded tonight, he was looking forward to the normalcy of it all, for his worries to be centered on something that was average and mundane for a change.

It would also help keep his mind off the violent sociopath that he shared a soul with. Although things had quieted down within the past week, he could feel his Hollow begin to stir more. It was faint and easy to miss, but ever since the battle with the Vasto Lorde he had been keeping a much sharper eye - and ear - on his Hollow. He refused to allow a repeat of what happened in the days before that battle and the way he nearly lost control of his actions. Ichigo didn't want to put Orihime and the others through that again.

His thoughts were driving his feet; Ichigo barely noticed that he had just passed the only genuine Portuguese restaurant in town: a sign that he was close to Orihime's apartment complex. His pace continued as its usual quick rate, even as the complex began to loom in the distance. He couldn't believe how quickly he had gotten here, not that he minded. Every extra minute gained was another spent with Orihime. They would be peaceful minutes, he swore to himself as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets. He wasn't going to burden her with his concerns about his Hollow - not now. He would have to tell her eventually; she'd only be more hurt if he didn't. But tonight was for him and her and his crazy family that for some reason she was really excited to meet.

He jogged up the stairs to the second level, trying to fight the cold out of his body. As he turned the corner, he was surprised to find someone leaning against the railing just up ahead, and his surprise doubled when he realized it was Orihime. She was staring out over the railing at the town, her gaze focused on something in the distance. She shivered in the cold, and the trembling snapped Ichigo out of his daze. "Orihime?"

She turned, and she smiled the moment their eyes met. "Ah! Ichigo-kun!"

"What are you doing out here?" he asked as he walked up towards her. His overprotective streak kicked in and he wrapped his arms around her to warm her up. "It's freezing."

"I wanted some fresh air," she said against his coat. "and I thought it'd be nice to meet you outside."

He shook his head at her. Sometimes she absolutely baffled him. "You didn't have to do that. It's too cold outside."

"But I wanted to," she said with a pout.

His lips turned upwards and he pressed his forehead against hers. "What am I going to do with you?"

She flushed faintly, the tint in her cheeks matching the pink on her nose and ears. "Hopefully not wrap me up and send me to Siberia?"

Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion. Scratch sometimes, she _almost always_ baffled him. "Send you to - if I'm going to wrap you up, it's going to be in a blanket and if I'm sending you anywhere, it's going to be my house."

Orihime blinked, and it was Ichigo's turn to flush. "Er, well, I mean - we're going there tonight anyway so it'd just, uh, make sense. Not that I'd - well..."

She began laughing. It shook her whole frame; first in her shoulders, spreading to her back and arms, and finally her entire body was overcome as she buried her face into his chest.

"You're laughing at me," he said in a mock hurt tone, despite the deep flush on his face.

"Would you unwrap me and go 'Look! I got an Orihime in the mail!'?"

"I don't think it'd go quite like that..."

"Then you'd pick me up and show me to your sisters and father-"

"I definitely would not show him," Ichigo muttered.

"-and then you'd take me up to your room and..."

He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "And I'd what?"

"Um..." She had put herself in a rather awkward position, because almost anything she'd suggest at this point would be, well... suggestive. "We could, um... study!"

"Study?" Ichigo was surprised at the disappointment in his voice.

"Sure!" Orihime beamed, hiding the embarrassment.

"Why would I get something in the mail and be excited if we just studied?" he asked.

Orihime's face fell a bit, and Ichigo wanted to smack himself on the head. _That just sounded rotten_, he chided himself as he quickly fought to make up for his unintentional harsh words. "I mean, if we studied something stupid like, uh, geometry it'd be boring but anything else might be fun." _Yeah, some save_, he thought with a mental eye roll. _All you managed to do was make yourself like an idiot._

"It's okay," Orihime said as she watched him struggle. "I guess a study partner in the mail would be kind of boring."

Deciding to turn the subject around, he said, "What would you do if you got me in the mail?" This was completely ignoring the fact that the subject in question was hypothetical at best and ridiculously weird at worst. Maybe she was starting to rub off on him.

To his surprise, Orihime smiled slyly. "Why, I'd unwrap you of course."

"And then?" He tilted his head slightly to the side. Was that ... mischief in her eyes?

"Eat you up," she said, standing on her tip toes and nibbling lightly on his ear. "Because strawberries in the mail are yummy."

Normally being called a strawberry would have been met with instant protest and anger on Ichigo's part, but there was something rather cute when his girlfriend called him that. He was having a hard time working up any will to be offended. Then again, the way she was sucking on his earlobe wasn't helping either.

"Come on," she said as she tugged on his hand and pulled him inside. "I'll eat you up inside, where it's warmer."

Unused to Orihime being this forward (he couldn't help but wonder if it was some combination of nerves and excitement for tonight that was doing this to her), Ichigo blushed as he was pulled along with her, half-dazed from her earlier words. _What _am _I going to do with her?_

* * *

The dread Ichigo felt for tonight was rivaled in intensity by the excitement shared in the Kurosaki household. It had been faint at the start of the day, but as the hours passed and dinnertime neared, it became tangible, like a static charge in the air. By the time it was 5:30, merely a half hour before dinner, it had stirred half of the clinic's occupants into a frenzy and the other half into quiet amusement.

Yuzu was, as promised, cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Karin could smell the sweet potatoes from her perch on the couch. Karin had never been a big fan of them, but since it was Orihime's favorite, that's what they were having; Yuzu wouldn't have it any other way. Not that Karin minded, since there would also be teriyaki chicken and rice and whatever the heck else Yuzu was cooking in there.

"You sure you don't need help, Yuzu?" Karin said in a loud enough of a voice. Normally she didn't bother much with the kitchen but she figured with the amount of cooking Yuzu was doing, she should at least ask, even though Rukia had already offered twice.

As expected, Yuzu shouted back, "It's fine! I'm almost done anyway!"

"Geez," Karin murmured as she turned back around in her seat. "Everyone's getting so worked up about this. Well…" She stole a glance towards the stairs. "Goatchin and Yuzu are. She's calm, too, at least," she said, referring to Rukia who was currently getting changed into something more "appropriate" for dinner, as she put it. Karin didn't know what it was about Rukia, but sometimes she felt like that girl belonged in another time.

Although Isshin's overexcitement and Yuzu's nervousness usually irritated Karin, this time around she could at least understand why. It was a long time since anything notable had really happened in their family. Sure, Ichigo had started high school not _that _long ago so it was something to celebrate, but that was just a milestone. However, this was Ichigo's first girlfriend: that was something worth getting remotely excited about, or at least, something notable enough to pique her curiosity.

Feeling pensive, Karin turned towards the poster of Masaki and murmured, "He's bringing home a girl, Mom. Can you believe it?"

It was times like these when she missed her mother the most. All the great moments of their family would never be quite right without her. Karin smiled sadly as she rested her arms on the back of the couch. "Think she'll like us?"

Isshin barged in from the clinic. "Finally closed for the night!" he said in a sing-song voice as he pranced up the stairs. "Daddy needs to get spiffied up!"

Her reverie broken, Karin's usual sardonic attitude returned. "Don't even think about wearing that stupid polka-dot shirt of yours!" she shouted after him.

"But it's Daddy's sexiest shirt!" Isshin protested. "I must look my best!"

"You're meeting your son's girlfriend. You're supposed to look like an old man and not like you're taking her out!"

"Daddy!" Yuzu called before Isshin could retaliate. "If you want to look nice, wear that pin-striped shirt of yours."

"Ah! Good thinking, Yuzu!" Isshin shot up the stairs like a bullet to get changed.

Karin sighed in relief. At least Isshin wouldn't _look _like a total idiot, though his behavior would more than make up for it. "Scratch what I said earlier," Karin said, glancing at the poster again. "Do you think she'll like Yuzu and I, at least?"

She heard footsteps from upstairs. Initially she thought it was Isshin, but they were lighter than his. _Must be Rukia then, _she thought. Sure enough, Rukia descended the steps just seconds later, donned in a white and blue dress. Her smile widened as she said, "I saw them coming down the sidewalk. They'll be here in a few minutes."

Yuzu screeched, though Karin wasn't sure if it was in excitement or surprise. "Oh my – the food's not done yet!"

"Relax," Karin said as she got up from her seat. "They're a little early."

Rukia turned back towards the stairs and shouted, "Hurry, uncle! They're almost here!"

There was a distinct crash, followed by a – well, Karin wasn't sure _what _sound her father had made but it was something of a cross between a screech and a scream. She rolled her eyes as she strolled into the kitchen to get herself something to drink. As she pulled out some juice from the fridge, she spotted a bottle of sake tucked into the corner on the counter next to her. She smirked; it was tempting, but then she realized her brother was probably going to need it more than she would.

Rukia ducked her head into the kitchen, presumably to offer her help one last time when she caught Karin eyeing the sake. "Aren't you still a bit young?" she asked.

"I was thinking more for Ichi-nii," Karin said as she poured herself a glass of juice.

Snorting, Rukia said, "I don't think there's enough alcohol in this city to get Ichigo through tonight."

Isshin came thundering down the stairs not even a minute later, and struck a dramatic pose for the girls of his house. "What do you think? Isn't Daddy dashing?"

Karin and Rukia, who had taken their seats at the table, glanced at him. Along with his pin-striped shirt, Isshin had donned pants that slightly flared out at the bottom. Karin couldn't help but notice they suspiciously resembled bell-bottoms, though they more than likely – or at least she _hoped_ – they weren't.

Rukia nodded appreciatively. "It suits you."

"You look like something from the sixties," Karin added drolly.

"Daddy was at his prime in the sixties!"

Rukia and Karin exchanged puzzled glances. "Uh, uncle," Rukia said, "wouldn't you have been at the most a child in the sixties?"

Isshin blinked before he held out his hands and started counting on his fingers as if trying to figure out the math. "Or maybe it was the seventies…" he muttered.

Karin was mustering up a remark when the doorknob suddenly turned. For a brief second, everyone in the room, even Isshin, froze. Karin heard Yuzu drop a spoon onto the counter, the distinct clatter reaching her ears.

The door opened, and Ichigo poked his head inside. When his gaze met his father's, he glared. "Stay where you are. None of your stupid 'Super Isshin Kicks', got it?"

Not giving Isshin the chance to argue, Ichigo stepped inside and kicked off his shoes. He turned towards the door and held out his hands. "Here, I'll carry it for a second."

A pair of small hands handed Ichigo a medium-sized food container (from the shape and size, Karin surmised there was a cake of some sort inside). Ichigo stepped back, smiling slightly as a pair of legs came into view. Their owner pulled off a pair of mint green flats and carefully set them next to Ichigo's shoes as he kicked his off.

Ichigo stepped around and closed the door behind them. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he sighed before stepping to the side and no longer obstructing the rest of the family's view.

Karin raised her brow slightly, though she hid any other outward signs of her surprise. She had heard plenty about Inoue Orihime, even in her elementary school. In a rare case, the rumors were pretty spot-on.

Orihime was no doubt a beauty. Her auburn hair – slightly similar to Ichigo's but of a less offensive shade – was swept back into a partial bun, securely fastened with a clip in the back. The rest of her long hair was draped over her shoulders. There were also a pair of clips by her temples, but the rest of her remained unadorned with any jewelry or make up. Still, she was lovely without them.

Understandably nervous, she glanced up at Ichigo, forcing a smile to her lips.

"Orihime," He nodded towards Karin. "That's my sister, Karin, and Yuzu is-"

"Right here." Yuzu poked her head out, a wide smile brightening her features.

"And you know _her,_" Ichigo said with a roll of his eyes as he gestured towards Rukia.

In return, Rukia gave him a sharp yet half-hearted glare. "Good to see you again, Orihime," she said, never taking her gaze off of Ichigo.

Ichigo's gaze finally rested on Isshin, and he made no effort to hide the dread in his voice as he finished, "And the moron with the stupid beard is my father."

"That is no way to introduce your lovable father!" Isshin cried out dramatically. He dashed over to Orihime to "properly" introduce himself. "I am Kurosaki Isshin, head of this fine household, lord of the clinic-"

"Oh good grief," Karin muttered.

"- and of course, Ichigo's father." He leaned in close, eyeing Ichigo conspiratorially. "Now you know where Ichigo gets his good looks from!" he whispered, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

To _everyone's _surprise, Orihime looked back and forth between father and son before nodding slightly. "Ah, Ichigo-kun does resemble you a bit, Kurosaki-san."

"Eh?" they both said, glancing down at her.

"Well, in the cheeks and chin. The facial structure, I mean." To emphasize her point, she tapped her finger gently against Ichigo's chin. "And something about the eyes, too…" Realizing she had trailed off for a few seconds, Orihime laughed nervously. "Ah, I'm sorry! I just couldn't help but notice." She forced a wide smile and bowed slightly to Isshin. "It's really wonderful to meet you!"

For a moment Isshin just stood there and stared at her. Orihime fidgeted under his gaze, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow at his father's odd behavior. Suddenly, Isshin's eyes watered and he ran over to Masaki's poster. "MASAKIIIIIIIIII!" he screeched as he plastered himself over the poster. "Daddy's so happy! Our son has brought home a beauty and she's SMART! I'm so proud…" He then blubbered incoherently against the poster, his words unintelligible to everyone else.

"Just ignore him," Ichigo muttered darkly.

"Daddy's a bit eccentric," Yuzu said with a laugh. "But anyway, it's really nice to meet you too, Orihime-san. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so please take a seat."

"Thank you – oh!" Orihime's exclamation stopped Yuzu just as she started to walk back into the kitchen. She took the container from Ichigo and handed it to Yuzu. "I brought this along for dessert. I would have brought something more traditional like sake, but I didn't have any and I'm not really sure what's good anyway." She blushed a bit. "And anyway, we can all eat this, if you'd like. It's just a cake I made."

Yuzu's eyes brightened as she took the container. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble! It's great! I'll put it in the fridge for now until it's time for dessert. Thank you!" she said as she hurried into the kitchen, cake in tow.

As Yuzu trotted off into the kitchen, Ichigo held out his hands to take Orihime's coat. "Here."

With a smile she helped him take it off, and she watched as he hung it up. Once her coat and then his were hung up, he turned and nodded towards the table. "I guess we might as well sit down if dinner's about done. Don't worry, you won't have to sit by my dad."

Isshin's eyes darted over in Ichigo's direction, narrowing in hurt. "But I wanna-"

"No," Ichigo said, his tone definitive. "I'm not letting you near her, end of story." To make sure, Ichigo took the seat to the left of where Isshin always sat and he motioned to the seat to his left for Orihime and thus keeping himself in between them.

Rukia gave Orihime a sympathetic smile as the healer took the proffered seat. "It's better if you sit there anyway," she said. "That way you won't be in the way when Ichigo and uncle start fighting."

"That's because Ichigo never lets me have any fun!" Isshin protested.

"No, it's because you insist on acting like you're a five year old pervert!" Ichigo shot back, glowering at him. "And if you make even _one_ remark about - about - about _any_ parts of her anatomy-"

Because he couldn't resist (and even if he could, he probably wouldn't try), Isshin waggled his eyebrows. "What parts?"

"You know exactly what I mean!" Ichigo said, not taking the bait. "One comment, I swear, I'll-"

"My boy..." Isshin shook his head sadly. "Daddy must teach you the ways of courting. You do not bashfully ignore or hide what assets your woman has! Orihime-chan has big gonzagas! Real men boast and say-"

Karin estimated that in the time it took for Orihime to turn a deep red, Ichigo had managed to leap out of his chair, wrap his hands around Isshin's neck and send them both crashing to the floor. _And so it starts,_ Karin thought dryly as she glanced at the two men rolling and grappling on the floor.

Orihime's eyes widened as she watched her boyfriend seemingly attempt to murder his father. She glanced at Rukia, who merely shrugged. "This is nothing new," the older woman assured her.

Yuzu banged a spoon against a pan, loud enough for everyone to wince and for the two men on the floor to stop their fighting. "Onii-chan, Daddy! We have a guest! Now, dinner's ready. Get in your seats."

Begrudgingly, Ichigo got to his feet and shuffled over to his chair. He dropped down into it, shooting a glare at his father as he took his own seat.

When Isshin caught Orihime's perplexed expression, he waved it off with a smile and said, "Don't worry, Orihime-chan! I would never seriously harm Ichigo, at least not in any way that would be detrimental to your relationship-"

"Dad," Ichigo growled in warning.

"-and besides, this is how we bond! Real fathers must teach their sons to be able to defend themselves in this world! So it's like training," Isshin finished with a congenial wink, totally ignoring Ichigo's deepening glare.

"Just ignore them," Karin offered Orihime as Yuzu began to bring out the food. "It's entertainment, anyway."

"It's man to man combat!" Isshin argued with an overdramatic shake of his fist.

"At most, it's two idiots beating each other up," Karin said with a roll of her eyes. "or sometimes even trying to break the house."

This time, she was on the receiving end of Ichigo's glare, and Isshin began bawling as he ran over to Masaki's poster (again). "Masaki! Our little Karin has no respect for her daddy!"

Rukia shook her head, though she wore an amused smile. Orihime glanced over at her again, her expression befuddled. With a widening grin Rukia said, "Welcome to the Kurosaki household."

* * *

The start of dinner went smoothly enough, aside from the initial skirmish. Once the food was dished out, Yuzu sat down with a smile, and everyone dug in.

Orihime smiled at the generous serving of sweet potatoes Yuzu had served her and the dish of butter that had been pushed her way. She sampled them, and couldn't help but remark at how good they were. Of course Yuzu was pleased, and they began talking about sweet potatoes (Orihime hoped to get her recipe before she left) and then about cooking in general.

That was how the first part of the dinner mainly went, with small talk about various things, from cooking to soccer (when Orihime talked to Karin about it, the younger girl was surprised, if not impressed to learn that Orihime knew a fair bit about the sport). Isshin was relatively quiet, only adding a quip here and there. Thanks to his father's silence, Ichigo's temper calmed and he was almost - _almost_ - in a good mood again.

But the peace was not meant to last. As the first half of dinner waned into the second, the conversation steered towards school. "So, you're in Ichi-nii's class, right?" Karin asked Orihime.

"Mm-hmmm. It's a really fun class," Orihime said as she took a bite of the chicken.

"It's certainly... lively," Rukia added, shooting Orihime and Ichigo a knowing smile.

"Better than boring," Karin said. "My class is full of all the smarty-pants, so it's kind of dull sometimes."

"Orihime's smart," Ichigo pointed out. His girlfriend immediately blushed, but he continued on, "She's third in our class."

Yuzu gasped in surprise, though she was obviously impressed. Karin raised her brow. _You mean to tell me the bombshell of Karakura High is also one of the smartest?_ "Seriously?"

Rukia nodded when Orihime seemed too shy to answer. "Yeah. She probably would be at the top if it wasn't for her missing a few days earlier in the semester and if Ishida wasn't in our class."

Karin saw her father raise an eyebrow at the name. However, he didn't seem willing to offer any opinion on it, and while Karin was curious (if not a little suspicious) she figured it was best not to encourage him to talk. The less Isshin said, the less likely something stupid was going to come out of his mouth.

"Third is still great," Ichigo said, stirring some of the teriyaki sauce on his plate.

The conversation probably would have gone on to end well if Yuzu didn't decide to ask Orihime, "So, did you and Onii-chan become friends just this school year?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Orihime answered with a nervous smile. "Although we didn't start going out until a few weeks ago."

Isshin's head snapped up. "Eh? Only a few weeks?"

"Yes," Ichigo said, automatically skeptical as to why Isshin seemed so surprised. "What of it?"

"This changes things!" Isshin clapped his hands on both sides of his face, his expression cast in serious concentration. "I had been working under the assumption you two had been dating for a few months!" He suddenly gasped in horror. "Then she – Orihime-chan doesn't know about _that_ then, does she?"

Orihime tilted her head to the side in confusion as she looked over at Ichigo. He shrugged at her before giving his dad another skeptical glance. "Know about what?"

Karin mentally began to prepare herself for the onslaught, because she knew from experience this couldn't go well.

Isshin darted from his seat to Orihime's side, away from Ichigo and thus out of his reach. "You must be warned, Orihime-chan," Isshin whispered (again, not quietly enough so that everyone could hear it). "I have the baby pictures as proof. When the day comes that your hormones rage and your young, unbridled desire is unleashed-"

"What the hell are you telling her?" Ichigo snapped, getting to his feet.

"-you must not be surprised at what you see." Isshin's voice lowered, and Karin, Yuzu and Rukia almost missed what he said next.

They wished they _had. _"Ichigo's hoo-ha is crooked!"

For a brief moment, everyone in the room froze. The only visible change was Orihime's face, which was turning (what had to be) an unnatural shade of red. Ichigo's was as well, although Karin knew embarrassment was only part of the reason why. It was also in anger, and she knew at any second the shock would wear off and the rage would kick in.

Sure enough, not even three seconds later, Ichigo shot up from his chair and swung, his fist meeting with the side of Isshin's face and sending the older man tumbling. "WHAT THE HELL, DAD?"

"It's true!" Isshin said from his spot on the floor. "The pictures prove it!"

"Wh – _What _pictures? It is _not _crooked! If ANYONE knows that, it's me!"

Isshin waggled his eyebrows. "My boy! Have you been-"

Ichigo did not give Isshin the chance to finish, as he and his poor girlfriend had been traumatized enough for the night. He sent a swift kick at his father, but Isshin rolled away and got back up on his feet. Before he could gloat about his excellent 'Awesome Isshin Super Dodge', Ichigo plowed into him like a battering ram, sending both of them crashing into the kitchen.

"Oh hell," Karin muttered as they heard the crashing and the banging. "There go some more dishes."

Orihime blinked several times but otherwise remained unmoving as the fighting continued. The sound of dishes rattling from the constant impact resounded from the kitchen, with the occasional distinct banging sound of pots and pans crashing into each other. Rukia shook her head and glanced back at her food. "I'd say I'm going to miss the fighting, but I really think I won't."

"I'm going to miss having another sane person around," Karin murmured. "You sure you have to go live with your brother?" Rukia's story about her brother having suddenly found her and him wishing for her to live with him had seemed incredulous to Karin, but as usual, her father and sister had bought it and Rukia would be leaving them soon. Whatever the real reason behind her leaving, Karin _was _going to miss her, since at least she wasn't as batshit crazy as the rest of her family.

Suddenly with a loud crash, the fighting came to a halt. Seconds later, Ichigo emerged, a pot in hand. "Damn father. Even if what you said was true, why the hell would you tell Orihime that?"

"I am concerned for her! The fate of the Kurosaki name and the next generation might-"

Ichigo threw the pot at him, and smiled sadistically when it hit Isshin's head. Even better, at least for him, the final blow seemed to have knocked his father out, or at least Isshin was pretending to be, which Ichigo took as a sign of defeat.

He walked back over to the table and sat back down, ignoring the stares the girls were giving him. "Damn old man."

"Stop complaining," Rukia said. "I think the four of us were more scarred by that than you were. I certainly didn't want to know about… _that _part of your anatomy."

"Not a word to Renji or the others about this," Ichigo said, glaring at her. "or I'll hunt you down no matter where you are. Now shut up and eat."

* * *

With Isshin KO-ed in the kitchen, the rest of dinner went peacefully. It wasn't until dessert was served that he emerged from the kitchen, still grinning and with a spring in his step, despite the beating he had taken.

Before more uncomfortable and better-left-unexplored topics were brought up, Orihime made the tactical decision of asking Isshin about his work in the clinic. If Isshin was good at anything (besides humiliating his children), it was telling stories. Flattered that she was so interested and excited about telling his favorite tales to someone new, Isshin narrated with his usual zeal several of the colorful events from his time running the clinic. After awhile, even his children chipped in with their own comments about certain events, and the entire family was pleased to see Orihime smiling and laughing.

"And in the end, it took me, Ichigo, the woman's husband _and _her brother to get the bucket unattached from her rear-end," Isshin said, grinning at Orihime's baffled expression. "To this day, I still don't know how she got it on there so snugly."

"It wouldn't have killed her to lose some weight," Karin said. "And who puts their butt into a bucket, anyway?"

"The same kind of idiot who lets their toddler near wasabi sauce," Ichigo said, referring to another famous case at the clinic involving a child stuffing some wasabi sauce up his nose.

"It is sort of amazing what people can do to themselves," Orihime said with a little laugh. "I think we all have done something embarrassing to ourselves at some point."

"That's very true, Orihime-san," Yuzu said, standing up and beginning to collect the empty dessert plates. "Still, it is pretty horrific what we find here at the clinic some days. Daddy, Onii-chan, pass me your plates," she added as she beckoned to them.

"Excellent dessert, Orihime-chan!" Isshin said with a beaming smile as Yuzu gathered all the plates and brought them to the kitchen. "The strawberries were a nice touch," he added, winking at Ichigo.

His son rolled his eyes, but Orihime smiled and blushed. "Thank you, Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo got to his feet, and offered his hand to Orihime. She took it and stood up, blushing slightly when he still held onto it. With an embarrassed expression he looked away, though still not letting go of her hand. Karin couldn't help but wryly note (to herself) how stupidly cute they were.

"We're heading upstairs," Ichigo said, walking away with Orihime following right behind him. "We'll be down later."

"B – But, you can't take her away so soon!" Isshin protested, flailing his arms as the couple began heading towards the stairs.

Ichigo answered him with a glare before leading Orihime upstairs, ignoring Isshin's continued objections.

Yuzu peered from the kitchen, wondering what her father was griping about. "What's wrong?"

"Yuzu-chan!" Isshin hurried over to her. "Your brother has just brought his girlfriend upstairs! This is momentous! Oh!" Isshin began pacing in circles, even though he was obviously excited. "Should I discourage them? No no, perhaps Orihime wants to see-"

"Er, uncle," Rukia interjected, "I don't think anything is going to happen. They are trying to take things slowly."

"It's Ichi-nii," Karin said dryly. "What could happen that a monk wouldn't do?"

Isshin aimed a skeptical look her way. "Wasn't it you who said you wouldn't be impressed until – I quote – 'he brings home someone of Orihime's level'?"

Karin blinked, momentarily shocked by her father's reminder. She _had, _in fact, said that not too long ago, when Rukia came to live with them the first time. Sure, Rukia was pretty and all, but the two of them obviously hadn't been dating and Karin was hardly concerned, unlike her father and sister. Now, though, she was going to have to eat her own words.

_Damn, _she thought, _when did Goatchin get to be so sly? _Then again, he had managed to wheedle her brother into this dinner. Maybe she needed to start giving her old man more credit.

Coughing to recover her lost composure, Karin said, "Yeah, I did. I said I would be impressed, not concerned. I _am _impressed. But still, unlike you, Ichigo isn't nearly as perverted."

"Yet," Isshin said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Rukia snorted as Karin smacked her forehead. "Just stuff it, old man. And leave my brother out of your depraved thoughts."

* * *

Ichigo shut the door behind him once he and Orihime were safely in his room. Heaving out a huge sigh, he looked at her, his expression expectant. "Well?"

Orihime put a finger to her lips, though they were already turned upwards in a smile. After a moment of consideration, she said, "I like them!"

Ichigo's mouth almost dropped. "What?"

"I do!" Orihime insisted, trying to convince him of her sincerity. "Your sisters are really nice, and your father's funny!"

Ichigo was having a hard time comprehending this. He knew his girlfriend was friendly to everyone and everything, but even she had to at least acknowledge his family was dysfunctional _at least_. "Did you completely forget what my dad said earlier?"

Orihime flushed a bit; she definitely hadn't forgotten. "Well, no, but I think that was just teasing. He might go a little overboard with it, but I sort of thought he did it because he was nervous."

Isshin being nervous seemed almost ridiculous to Ichigo, but when he thought about how excited his family had been the past few days, perhaps it was also to be expected that they also had been nervous. "Maybe," he admitted.

"I didn't mind," she said. "They were kind of crazy, but I really enjoyed it. It's how I always pictured a close family would be like."

Her smile was a bit forced, and Ichigo immediately realized what she meant: Orihime had never had a whole family. She didn't remember her parents – probably for the best – and it had just been her and her brother until a few years ago. The mere novelty of having a family was probably enough for her to overlook any flaws they might have.

Ichigo smiled softly as he walked over to her and pulled her close. "I'm not sure my family is a poster kind of family, but we're something, I guess."

"They're great the way they are."

_Well, as long as she likes them, _Ichigo thought, _then I guess I can't complain. _He leaned his head against hers and inhaled deeply, enjoying the feel and scent of her and allowing his worries to ebb away for a bit, even as his Hollow snickered back in the deep reaches of his mind.

Orihime's fingers clutched the back of Ichigo's shirt, while her other hand cupped his cheek as she leaned back to look at him. Quietly, but with firmness she said, "Your Hollow's been bothering you again, hasn't he?"

Ichigo wasn't entirely surprised that she knew, though he felt like he should be. "You knew?"

"I could tell something was bothering you earlier," she admitted, "when you came to my house. And I could… feel it." She smiled, though it was only half-hearted. "I wanted to mention it before, but with the dinner tonight, I figured you wouldn't want to talk about it, so I tried to take your mind off of it."

Well, that would explain her weird behavior on the balcony. "Yeah." He glanced at the wall, away from her penetrating gaze. "I honestly meant to talk to you about it, just later. Tonight I just… I want it to be a normal night."

Orihime nodded in understanding. "Okay. Tomorrow, then."

"But tomorrow's-"

"Christmas. I know." She leaned her head against his chest, drawing his gaze back towards her. "I know it's not a holiday kind of topic, but we know we'll be alone tomorrow night and can talk about it in peace. We can exchange gifts, have some hot chocolate, talk about it, and kiss a bit. You open up more when you're in a good mood, anyway."

He had to keep himself from laughing. "Can't we just skip the talk and go straight to the kissing? Wouldn't you prefer that?" he said in a mock serious tone.

Orihime gave him a playfully reproachful look. "Ichigo-kun, you're not backing out of this one."

"Fine," he said in defeat, though his smile betrayed his real feelings. He leaned his forehead against hers and with a sly smile said, "So, just _how _much kissing are we talking about here? I'd like to know if I'm going to get my fair share for the night."

Try as she might, Orihime couldn't contain the giggling that burst out of her. Ichigo grinned, and decidedly pushed his worries aside, saving them for tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeeeah, not too much plot in this one, but I figured after the previous two chapters a break was needed, with some desperately lacking humor. Plot will resume next week, but I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Yes, there was some heavily implied RenRuki in there. I'm sorry if it's not your thing, but it's not like it's the main couple of this story anyway. In case anyone was wondering what Isshin was referring to with Karin saying she wouldn't be impressed until Ichigo brought home someone of Orihime's level, it's a reference to Chapter 197. I'm not sure what episode it is in the anime, but it's right after Rukia returns from Soul Society and before the explanation about the Arrancar.

Oh, and please don't tell me I have to explain what Isshin meant by gonzagas and hoo-has. It should be self-explanatory.


	25. Chapter 25

Okay, because I know some of you are going to ask: I sort of made a typo in the author's notes last chapter. I had manga on the brain when I was uploading this, and since most shounen manga (that I read anyway) update weekly, next chapter = next week, right? So, yeah, when I said the plot would continue next week, I meant next chapter. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this mistake until about a week after I posted, and I had a chapter to write for a collab fic I'm doing. So yeah, this is later than I unintentionally promised.

BUT, I decided that instead of going back and fixing it, I'd use it as motivation to get this done quicker. Yes, it's three weeks later, but I figured after the three month wait for the last one, no one would mind too much. I really am sorry about that typo, though :(

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed (I'll get to the replies after the upload) and double thanks to my beta-readers for looking over this. You all keep me going, you really do. Okay, enough mushy stuff. Onto the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 25**

_The heart of the matter_

This Christmas morning was not meant to be a normal one. It had started out seemingly average: Orihime had woken up and was disappointed to find no snow outside. But it rarely snowed on Christmas Day, so she wasn't too bummed out. At the very least, it was cold and frosty and that was enough for her to make it feel like Christmas.

After getting showered and dressed, she walked out of her room and greeted her housemates. "Good morning, everyone!" she said with a smile.

Momo waved to her, and Hitsugaya murmured a good morning back to her. Rangiku glanced up from the couch and offered her a smile and a, "Hey, Orihime."

Orihime smiled back, though it wasn't as heartfelt as it normally was. Her housemates were quieter than normal today. She knew part of it was because Rangiku was still grieving for Ichimaru, and she would be for some time. But she knew it was also because that they would be leaving for Soul Society in two days, and it would be time to say good-bye.

A part of her was happy that they would miss her, and that their time here wasn't so horrible that they were looking forward to leaving, but she hated seeing them down in the dumps. She couldn't do much for Rangiku and her sorrow - that would take time - but she could do her best to cheer them up. "Does anyone have any plans for today?"

"Not in particular," Hitsugaya answered.

"Aren't you going out with Ichigo-kun later?" Momo asked.

"Ah, yeah, but not until the evening. I was thinking maybe we could do something today beforehand. Like a last big hurrah for us before you guys go back."

"Big hurrah?" Rangiku said, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What did you have in mind?"

"Er, it doesn't have to be anything exciting. But I wanted to do something with you guys before you left, if that's okay."

"We could get breakfast, for starters," Momo suggested. "I'd like to eat at that diner one more time. I really am going to miss some of the food here."

"Are you sure you can go out?" Rangiku asked Orihime. "Weren't you struggling to think of a Christmas present idea for Ichigo?"

"Ah!" Orihime grinned in triumph. "Not anymore! I forgot to tell you. Tatsuki-chan helped me and I have something for him now."

"I hope you didn't spend too much money," Hitsugaya said with a frown. "I understand he's your boyfriend and that this Christmas holiday is special, but it'd be ridiculous to-"

"Taichou!" Rangiku chided. "If Orihime wants to spend a lot of money on him, then she can! Besides, it's the thought that counts."

"I hardly spent anything on it, actually," Orihime said with a nervous laugh. "I just hope he likes it."

"Oh, he will," Rangiku said with a playful roll of her eyes. "You could give him a pair of socks and he'd like it." She paused, and added, "That's not what you got him, right?"

"No no no!" Orihime waved her arms in front of her. "Of course not! I don't even know what kind of socks Ichigo-kun likes! I mean, maybe he likes athletic socks, or low-cut socks! He might even like those knee-high ones. Then there's all kinds of material for socks. He might like cotton or-"

Momo burst out laughing, even though she had long grown used to Orihime's occasional ramblings. "I get the feeling Ichigo-kun wouldn't care much about socks."

"No one who has their priorities straight cares about socks," Hitsugaya added seriously. "It doesn't seem like an appropriate present, anyway. At least not from you."

"What I got Ichigo-kun is definitely not socks. Though I kind of want to now, just to see what he would say." When she smiled and the others stared at her in mild surprise, she broke out into a fit of giggles. "Just kidding! I wouldn't do that! Only mothers and wives give men socks as a present, and it's usually with other things, too."

Rangiku smiled slyly. "Well then. Maybe you should as practice."

Poor Orihime turned a bright red as she spun away from Rangiku. "I - I - Ichigo-kun and I are just dating! Not even for a month yet! M - Marriage would be a long way off, and that's assuming he'd want to marry me."

"If he doesn't propose to you within the next ten years," Rangiku said with a serious frown, "I'm going to sock him one. Then I'll have taichou beat him up for good measure."

"I'm your captain," Hitsugaya said with a glare, "not your... goon."

"So, breakfast!" Momo interjected, clapping her hands together loudly before an argument could brew. "I'm up for some!"

"Fine, fine," Rangiku said. "We'll all get ready and head out then."

As Hitsugaya headed for the bathroom to get changed, Orihime began walking towards the kitchen, intent on washing some dishes and cleaning up the remnants of the dinner Rangiku and the others had left while she waited for everyone to get ready.

"Oh, Orihime-chan," Momo protested softly. "I was going to wash those later. You didn't even eat here last night."

"It's fine," Orihime said, brushing off Momo's continued protests as she turned on the faucet. She picked up a plate as she reached for the sponge. "I'll just-"

Suddenly, her head went foggy as her vision blurred. She dropped the plate she had been holding and stumbled back from the sink. The plate clashed loudly as it landed in the sink, catching the attention of Momo and Rangiku. Orihime clutched at her head, trying to focus her thoughts. "What-"

"Orihime?" Rangiku stood up quickly when she saw Orihime clutch at her head. "What's wrong?"

"My - my head," Orihime managed to say as her vision began blackening. "Something's-"

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Momo shouted for Toshiro as Rangiku ran towards Orihime.

Orihime felt consciousness seeping away, and one of the last things she registered was a distinct cackle echoing from the back of her mind. She recognized it immediately. "Shirosaki-kun," was all she managed to get out before her eyes rolled up and she fell unconscious onto the kitchen floor.

* * *

She opened her eyes, and she found herself standing in the same flower field from the other night, when Ichigo's Hollow had paid her a visit in her sleep. But this time he had managed to do this - whatever it was he was doing - while she was conscious and awake. It had to mean he was getting better at it, and that surely was not good news for her or Ichigo.

"Shirosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted, her brow furrowed as she searched for the Hollow. He had caught her off guard last time; she was not going to let that happen again.

Because she was looking for him, and because she was expecting him to show up, she immediately sensed it when he flash-stepped behind her. She tried turning around to face him, but his strong arms held her in place. One of them wrapped around her torso while the other snaked up around her front and held her chin, preventing her from turning her head. "None of that, Queen," he said. She could all but _hear _the smile in his voice.

"What are you doing?" Orihime asked, struggling to free herself. It wasn't so much because she didn't want to be in his confines but more so she could _face _him.

"Ain't it obvious?" he said. "I'm holding ya still."

"I meant what are you doing here?" she elaborated. "Wherever this is…"

Shirosaki stilled, his expression slightly pensive. "Heh. You really don't know what this place is, do ya?"

She shook her head.

"This place is in yer soul. It's the seat of your power, in a sense. It's where your little fairies reside and where you draw them from when you call them out. It's usually just shinigami who have something like this, a place where their zanpakutou live inside their souls, but you've got one, too." He rolled his eyes. "And of course it's a damn flower field."

Orihime looked around with a newfound understanding of where she was. _So this is the seat of my power, the place in my soul the Shun Shun Rikka stay. I never thought they actually had a place like this where they lived. Then again, _she thought with a furrowed brow, _I guess they had to come from someplace. They don't live in my hairpins._

"Make sense now?"

"Sort of. But it still doesn't explain why you keep coming here," Orihime said.

"Yer not stupid, Queen," Shirosaki said, leaning in close to her ear. "You noticed how easily I got in here this time, right? Even though you were awake. It's gettin' easier to come here."

"But what's here?" He was being cryptic, and Orihime knew it was likely on purpose. He had been nothing but that since everything started. "You wouldn't just keep coming here without a reason."

"This place is accessible to me. It's the only place in your heart I can get to, thanks to this nice little bond you and the King have got."

"My heart?" Orihime's own internal heart skipped a beat at the thought.

"The heart's in yer soul. The heart is the center of a lot of shit for a person: emotions, memories, will, and powers. It's the place I need access to." He grinned widely as he breathed into her ear, "And it's your heart that's at the center of how that Hollow form came to be."

_What? _Orihime thought, shocked at the revelation. What did _her _heart have to do with anything?

Suddenly, Shirosaki flash-stepped from their spot, taking Orihime with him. Orihime gasped as the air was sucked from her lungs as they stopped a short distance away. When she looked up, she realized what had happened.

"Tsubaki-kun!" she called out as the agitated Rikka stood where she and Shirosaki had been just a moment ago. To her surprise, Tsubaki wasn't tiny, but the size of a normal human. He was likely taller than even she was, but she had little time to contemplate why.

"Sneak attack, eh?" Shirosaki cackled. "Yer not half bad, fairy, but I'm better."

The other Shun Shun Rikka appeared seconds later. They formed a loose circle around Shirosaki and Orihime. "Let her go," Shun-o demanded. "You wouldn't try to take her hostage here."

"I didn't say anything about a hostage." Shirosaki glared coldly at Shun-o. "I pulled her out of the way before that dumbass," He jerked his head at Tsubaki, "could hurt her with his little ninja kick."

"It wasn't going to hit her!" Tsubaki snapped. "You idiot! My job is to protect her! You think I'd do something to put her in harm's way? It's in our nature to keep her alive."

"It's in yours now, too, isn't it?" Shun-o said to Shirosaki. She nearly smiled when he frowned at her. "I still don't know what exactly it is you're trying to do, but thanks to your running mouth, we finally realized what you're aiming for, at least."

"We were under the impression," Hinagiku began to explain to Orihime, "that he was after something to do with your power or, more specifically, us. We thought that because he kept coming here repeatedly."

"But now we know he was just coming here because it was easiest." Lily tilted her head, her gaze aimed at Shirosaki. "So it has something to do with Orihime's heart."

Shun-o suddenly snapped her fingers. "I wonder…" She softly touched the spot where her brand was, the Hollow mask visage that was burnt into her skin shortly after the bond formed. "You said you managed to come here because of the bond. But it's a two way thing, isn't it?"

Tsubaki chuckled. "Well well, then we could just pay you and Ichigo a visit, couldn't we?"

"Go ahead," Shirosaki said dryly. "It ain't gonna help ya."

Ayame suddenly gestured at Shun-o. She pointed to her brand, and then pointed at Shirosaki. Shun-o, understanding what Ayame was trying to say, nodded and then said, "Right. You've stayed here long enough, Hollow."

Orihime's eyes widened. "What are you-"

"You'll be fine. Just stand still," Baigon told her.

The Rikka pressed their hands to their brands. After a moment, they all began to glow. Orihime glanced down and noticed that the hibiscus brand on Shirosaki's hand was beginning to flicker as well. To her surprise, he suddenly released her as he cursed out loud.

"Now get out!" the six fairies shouted. They all rushed towards him, and Orihime shut her eyes as there was a bright flash of light, and then… nothing.

She opened them slowly and turned around. Shirosaki was gone, and although she was worried about what happened to him, a part of her flooded with relief. "What was that?"

"Us kicking him out," Lily explained with her usual smile. "He seems to come in through some kind of portal – which from what he said is the bond – and we just push him back the same way he came."

"The bond allows him to come here," Orihime repeated, her eyes widening slightly. "So it's a physical bond?"

"It seems to have some sort of physical property, or at least some sort of spiritually physical property." Shun-o shook her head. "It's a connection between your souls."

"I wonder if it's a connection between their hearts," Hinagiku said with a puzzled frown. "It might have something to do with why the Hollow seems so interested in having 'access' to Orihime's heart."

Orihime placed a hand over her chest. "Why my heart?"

Shun-o shrugged. "I'm not sure. It goes back to what happened on the dome. _Everything _goes back to the dome. Something to do with your heart, it seems."

"If her heart is involved in all of this," Baigon said, "then that might explain these brands. If the bond connects their hearts, and since Shirosaki seems to be able to come here so easily, then maybe Orihime and Ichigo's powers somehow got… crossed?"

Tsubaki nodded. "That would explain it. We rubbed up against or crossed with Ichigo's powers, and that might be why we have influence over one another. It manifested in the brands we got."

"That would explain why we were able to make Shirosaki release Orihime earlier," Lily said. She turned to their master and explained, "You saw it, when our brands glowed? We've learned how to tap into them and use them against the Hollow. It happened twice during the battle with the Vasto Lorde, too. Remember?"

Orihime nodded. The first time had been when Ichigo had called up her shield, before Orihime had the chance to. Then the second time had been when she called on the Rikka to stop Ichigo before he could further maim Hiyori and the Vizards.

"Our brands glowed when we stopped him and broke his mask," Hinagiku recalled. "That must be it. These brands are the manifestation of our influence over Ichigo's powers, and vice versa."

"But it only seems to work on Shirosaki-kun," Orihime pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Shun-o said. "Honestly, we've only ever had to use this influence on Shirosaki. Theoretically, it should work with Zangetsu as well. Next time you're training, ask those Vizards to let us try influencing Zangetsu's abilities and see what happens. If we can, then we're right."

Tsubaki scratched his head. "This is good and all, but this still doesn't explain how she can stop that Hollow form. _We _don't do that. _She _does."

The others fell silent, and Orihime bit her lip thoughtfully. Tsubaki was right; the bigger question at hand was still unsolved.

Lily clapped her hands together. "Come on now!" she said cheerfully. "Let's not be discouraged. Maybe we haven't figured it out yet, but we've made progress."

Orihime smiled and nodded with her. "Yeah. I think what he said about my heart is the key. I'll talk to Ichigo-kun and the others about it tomorrow and we'll see what we can come up with."

"Speaking of," Shun-o glanced up at the sky. "We should wake you back up."

Orihime gasped as she remembered what had happened earlier. She had been so caught up with Shirosaki's appearance and his words that she had completely forgotten she was passed out on her kitchen floor. "I need to get back! They're going to worry."

"Right." Shun-o inhaled a deep, relaxing breath, before exhaling slowly. "I think we're a bit frazzled right now, but you and Lily are right. This will help us later on. We're going to do what we can to figure this out. I suggest you tell Ichigo and the Vizards about what's going on."

"I will."

"Let's get you back." Lily placed her hand in front of Orihime's face. "Just close your eyes and we'll help you wake up. Ready?" When Orihime nodded, she began counting, "One, two… three!"

Orihime felt like a jolt was shot through her before everything went black. She floated there in the darkness for what felt like minutes until she suddenly began to regain her senses.

The first thing she felt was the cold kitchen floor, and the pain in her head. She tried moving, but her body didn't seem willing to respond yet. Then she began to hear voices buzzing around her. She could make them out distinctly: Rangiku, Momo, Hitsugaya, Ichigo-

Uh oh.

She forced her eyes open, and she was immediately greeted to the sight of Ichigo and Rukia bent over her, their expressions worried. "Ichigo-kun? Rukia-chan?"

"You're awake!" Rukia said in relief as Ichigo helped Orihime sit up.

"Orihime," Ichigo said softly, keeping his arm wrapped around her back for support. "Are you okay?"

"I – I'm fine," she insisted. "Though I think I hit my head when I fell. What are you doing here?"

"We called them."

Orihime turned around, and was surprised to see not only Rangiku, Momo and Hitsugaya standing near her, but Ishida and Sado as well. "You wouldn't wake up, so we called everyone. The Vizards are on their way, along with Urahara and Yoruichi," Rangiku said.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

Her front door suddenly swung open, and in came Urahara, Yoruichi, and the Vizards. "Orihime-san?" Urahara called out when he found her awake.

"She just woke up," Hitsugaya said to them. "She was out for nearly twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Orihime said, honestly surprised. "It didn't seem to take that long."

All eyes turned towards her. "_What _didn't take that long?" Hiyori demanded.

Orihime swallowed; they weren't going to like what she had to tell them. "Well, um, Shirosaki-kun paid me a visit."

* * *

Once she was finished narrating what happened, Shinji was unable to resist pointing out that, "At least he didn't lick you this time."

This was met with a glare, courtesy of Ichigo. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"I'm tryin' to be positive!" Shinji argued.

"Positive my ass," Ichigo muttered, not buying his excuse.

"Can we focus on the issue at hand here?" Rukia cut in, ending the bickering that was likely going to start.

Rose scratched the back of his head. "Why would a Hollow be after someone's heart?"

"Hollows seek to fill in the hole left behind when their heart disappears," Ishida said. "They try to assuage the loneliness and emptiness. It's why a newly formed Hollow first goes after its loved ones."

"But inner Hollows aren't like regular Hollows," Shinji said. "They don't really have that drive, or at least, they don't go about it that way. They try taking over us and our souls."

"The Hollow needs access to Inoue-san's heart," Urahara pointed out, using Orihime's words from earlier. "He didn't say anything about trying to take it over. He needs it for something."

Ichigo sighed heavily, resting his head in his hands. "Why is it that every time we learn something more about this, it only leads to more questions than answers?"

"Because we're finding out about shit that's happened _after _the dome, the aftermath," Kensei said. "The only thing we know about the dome is that it had something to do with her heart, and that's a step in the right direction."

"It certainly eliminates other possibilities," Hachi said. "Now we know _what_, at least to some extent, the Hollow is after."

"We still need to find out more," Shinji said. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he glanced over at Orihime and Ichigo. "I'm sure you two wouldn't want to head over to the warehouse today, right?"

"Not really," Ichigo said. "It's Christmas. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Don't let that Hollow ruin the holiday," Rukia said, both to Ichigo and Shinji. "It'll be there tomorrow, with all the problems it has brought."

Urahara tipped back his hat slightly. "I actually have to agree with Kuchiki-san. I think a day's contemplation on what's happened will prove more fruitful than diving straight into training."

"We'll be at the warehouse tomorrow," Orihime promised Shinji as Ichigo helped her to her feet. "And we'll stay as long as it takes until we figure more out."

Shinji sighed, but there was a smile in his eyes. "All right, all right. You two damn lovebirds have your date tonight." He adjusted his cap as he spun on his heel, heading for the door. "I want ya at the warehouse bright and early tomorrow. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Orihime said cheerfully as Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Right. Let's roll," Shinji said to his comrades as they began to head out.

Yoruichi nodded to the couple. "Take some aspirin for your head or something," she advised.

"Be careful," Urahara added seriously as he and Yoruichi made for the door. "If something else occurs, let us know immediately."

"We will," Ichigo said.

After exchanging parting nods and waves, the pair from the shouten left, letting the door bang shut behind them.

Ichigo turned to Orihime. "Hey. You feeling better?"

"My head still hurts a bit," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "I think I might take Yoruichi-san's advice and take something for it."

"I think you should. I can stay here for a bit, if you want, and make sure-"

"You can't," Rukia interjected. Before he could argue, because she knew he would, she added, "You're not done making her gift, remember? You'll see her tonight, anyway."

"But-"

"We'll stay, Ichigo," Sado offered.

"If it's fine with Inoue-san," Ishida added, glancing over at her.

"Everyone's welcome to stay," Orihime said with a smile.

After a moment's consideration, Ichigo nodded. "All right," he conceded, albeit hesitantly. He aimed a stern frown at Ishida. "If anything happens-"

"We will call you," Rangiku answered in Ishida's place. She rolled her eyes and shooed at Rukia and Ichigo. "Now, out. You'll just stand here and fidget when you have a gift to make. We're perfectly capable of taking care of her."

Rukia ushered Ichigo out, calling over her shoulder, "Take care, Orihime!"

"You too! Bye Rukia-chan!" She then smiled. "Good-bye, Ichigo-kun. See you tonight."

"Yeah. See ya." He gave her a smile before Rukia pushed him out the door.

* * *

The walk back to Ichigo's house took longer than the walk to Orihime's apartment, the key difference being the walk to her home was more like a _sprint. _Now that they weren't driven by panic, they strolled back at a much slower pace.

Something was nagging at Rukia's thoughts, but it wasn't until they were halfway home that she realized what it was. The hand that had been cupping her chin in thought lowered to her side as she said, "I just remembered something."

Ichigo looked towards her. "What?"

"Kaien-dono once told me something. He said that there is a heart between two people, formed when they first interact. It's born each time they interact and think of each other. When we die, we leave our hearts with our friends, so we can live on inside of them, even as our bodies decay and disappear."

Ichigo considered her words for a moment, chewing them over in his head before replying, "I've never heard of that. I thought the heart was inside of you."

"I always thought so, too, and maybe it is. I don't think your Hollow was wrong." She paused, and with a pensive frown added, "But I don't think Kaien-dono was wrong, either. Maybe the heart isn't just what's inside us, maybe it's also that connection between people." She pulled her coat tighter across her chest as the wind picked up, but paid no mind to it otherwise as she continued, "I think what we call the 'heart' is just a part of something greater that we don't understand. You can't study it like you can the body, but we know it's there all the same."

Suddenly, she started laughing. "Listen to me. I think the holiday spirit is putting me in a sentimental mood."

"Maybe," Ichigo said with a smirk, "but I kind of like your idea. It's like we're all connected in some way, as corny as that sounds."

"You know," Rukia said, her tone as soft as the smile she wore, "you and Orihime had a bond I think before the dome. We all have one between us, so I think this 'bond' that came to be after the dome is just part of something that was already there."

"I couldn't read her thoughts before," Ichigo said with a bemused frown.

"I mean, the weird stuff that came with this bond occurred after the dome, but I think the foundation for it was already there." Rukia gesticulated with her hands as she continued, "You know Orihime was in love with you when she left, and you were willing to do anything to get her back. She's always had this way of bringing out the best in you." She smiled dryly. "What I'm saying is, you two already had a bond to begin with. It just didn't get supernatural and weird until after the dome."

Ichigo nodded, finally understanding what she meant. "Yeah. I get it. I don't regret it at all, but…" His scowl deepened. "Do you think we'll be okay?"

"We'll figure it out," Rukia said confidently. "Tomorrow is going to be important, but with what we found out today, I'm sure something will come to light." She smiled at his nod, glad she was able to reassure him a bit, even when she was plagued with her own doubts. _I don't think Orihime is the one who's in danger, _she thought to herself. _The Hollow won't hurt her, I'm sure of it. It's Ichigo I'm worried about, and I think… _She bit softly on her bottom lip, keeping her eyes averted straight ahead as they turned down the street towards the clinic. _I think it's Ichigo who will need saving by the end of this._

* * *

Morning turned into afternoon, and afternoon to evening. The hours passed by uneventfully. Orihime had hardly been left alone; Ishida and Sado stayed for a few hours, and even after they had left, she had noticed Hitsugaya and the others had been keeping an extra sharp eye on her. She was touched by their concern, but she knew it was unnecessary. Shirosaki had never come back a second time in one day, and even if he decided to, there was little they could do about it.

But to ease their minds, she didn't go out or exert herself more than necessary. Unfortunately, taking it easy instead of keeping herself busy gave her too much free time. Too much free time meant she had too much time to think, and worry.

Her earlier conversation with Ichigo's Hollow kept swirling in her mind. Even when she managed to busy herself with a bit of work, like dishes and cooking, her thoughts kept drifting back to that encounter. She struggled to make sense of what he had said and figure out his motives. Her struggling was in vain: no matter how hard she thought, nothing seemed to fit together and provide a reasonable explanation.

By 6 PM, she was ready to pull her hair out. She was absorbed in her thoughts again, staring at the television when someone tapped her shoulder. She nearly jumped off of the couch in surprise before spinning around to see who touched her.

"Sorry," Momo said, retracting her hand. "I just wanted to let you know it's 6 o'clock. Don't you need to get ready soon?"

"Is it that late already?" Orihime said, glancing at the clock. "Thanks, Hinamori-chan. I'll go get ready."

"Are you okay?" Momo asked as Orihime stood up. "I mean…" She scratched her arm absent-mindedly, glancing off to her left. "I'm sure you've got a lot on your mind and all, but I was just worried that…"

_They really are worried, _Orihime thought sadly. She smiled in spite of what she really felt and nodded to Momo. "I am, really. Just too much thinking."

"I figured as much." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other; Orihime thought she looked a bit nervous. "It might not be our place to offer, but we were a little worried about leaving you in two days. You'll be by yourself here and… well, we were thinking of maybe convincing the captains in charge in Soul Society to let at least one of us stay with you until, well, everything's solved and settled."

Orihime's mouth almost dropped in shock. She knew they cared about her, but she hadn't realized just how much. Awed, if not a bit embarrassed, Orihime shook her head. "It's okay. I know all of you have your duties to get back to and I know you've been kept from them for long enough." She smiled as she added, "But thank you. That means a lot to me, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm really going to miss you guys, but I'll have Ichigo-kun, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun and Tatsuki-chan if I need help. I might live by myself but I'm not alone."

Momo nodded, although she still seemed ill at ease. "All right."

Rangiku, who had pushed back the curtains to the front window, suddenly glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Orihime. "Aren't you ready yet? Ichigo's walking up the street!"

Orihime yelped, for a lack of better term, and rushed towards her room. "Ah, no! If he comes to the door, please let him in! I'll be done quickly!"

When she shut the door behind her, Rangiku glanced over at Momo. "I knew she would turn it down."

"It was still worth asking," Momo said. "But she's right. She won't be alone. Even if she's at home by herself, help isn't far."

"I'd still feel better if someone was staying with her."

There was a knock at the door, and Momo walked over towards it. "Maybe Ichigo-kun could stay with her once or twice a week? You know, sleep on the couch and make sure nothing happens?"

Rangiku snorted. "For one, I don't think his family would approve of that," she said, knowing _nothing _about Isshin, "and secondly, do you really think he'd stay on the couch?"

Momo made a choked sound at Rangiku's words, and only looked more shocked when Rangiku waggled her eyebrows. "R – Rangiku-san!"

The older vice-captain didn't bother to contain her laughter until Momo let Ichigo inside.

* * *

Once Orihime was finally ready, she and Ichigo left her apartment, presents in hand and with the wishes of Rangiku and Momo (and a slightly more contained Hitsugaya) to have fun. The couple made their way through the residential area and towards downtown Karakura, passing increasing number of shops and restaurants on their way.

"Anywhere in particular you want to eat?" Ichigo asked once they were walking down the town's main road.

"Um…" Orihime dug into her pocket, starting to pull out her wallet. "I have a bit of money, so maybe-"

In response, Ichigo pulled out some yen from his pocket. "Dad gave me some money so I could take you somewhere nicer than a diner or something."

"Really? That was kind of him."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "He gave it with the stipulation that I had to invite you to dinner next week."

Orihime nearly squealed in delight; she never thought his family would invite her back so soon! "I'd love to!"

"You sure?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically. "You remember what happened yesterday, right?"

"Like I said, I didn't mind. I'm sure this dinner will go a little more smoothly, now that we've all been introduced. I don't think everyone will be so nervous, either. So yes, I'm sure."

Ichigo shook his head in amazement. "I don't know whether to be grateful or terrified that you like my family." He paused, and added, "Seriously, you _do _remember what my dad put us through, right?"

Orihime couldn't help but laugh, even as she hit him lightly on the arm. "It wasn't that bad. Besides, he was just teasing!"

"That's what _you _think," Ichigo said. "But all right. I'll let them know when I get home." He nodded towards a chain restaurant across the street. "Wanna eat there?"

"Sure. They have some really good sushi." She paused, and added thoughtfully, "Hmm. Actually, sushi does sound really good right now. Let's go!" Excited, and eager to go, Orihime pulled Ichigo across the street. Watching for cars, they quickly crossed and entered the restaurant.

It was one of those nice chain restaurants that had decent food and prices to match. It was nice enough to be usually unaffordable for school kids but laidback enough that the staff was dressed festively for the holiday. Since Ichigo and Orihime had come just after the dinner rush, they were seated nearly right away. However, judging from the number of patrons still in the restaurant, their food was likely going to take longer than usual.

Once they were seated and their drink orders were placed, Orihime glanced over at Ichigo's present, then at hers. Trying to contain her excitement, she leaned back in her seat, taking off her coat and gloves.

Ichigo caught her glance, however, and after their drinks were delivered and they placed an order for a plate of sushi to split between them, he handed her his present. "Happy Christmas."

"Ah!" Orihime quickly grabbed her gift and swapped it with Ichigo's. "Happy Christmas to you too, Ichigo-kun! Thank you."

"You first," he said, nodding to the gift.

Orihime didn't need further encouragement. With slightly contained zeal (they were in a public place, after all) she tore open the wrapping paper. Once the paper was off, in her hand she held a medium sized jewelry box. Glancing at Ichigo questioningly, she pulled off the top to look inside.

"It's a charm bracelet," Ichigo said as Orihime pulled out the bracelet.

"I've always wanted one of these!" Orihime said excitedly as she examined each charm.

"Yuzu and Karin helped me make some of them, and the others were bought." Ichigo leaned over and lifted with his two fingers a strawberry charm and a crown charm. "Yuzu bought the strawberry one, and she painted this crown. Guess she got the idea after your name."

Orihime had never been a big fan of her name, but she really liked the thought behind Yuzu's charm. Of course, she also adored the strawberry charm. "They're cute."

Ichigo then lifted with his fingertips the next two charms: a beaded blue hibiscus and a grinning anime panda bear. "She made the flower one just this morning. Said it would match your hairpins. As for this thing…" He tapped the panda bear. "She bought it before she met you, so she didn't know what you'd like. I guess this caught her eye or something."

Orihime giggled, taking a close look at the charms. "I like them both. The panda's funny," she added with a smile.

Suddenly Ichigo flushed and looked away as he pointed at the last two charms. "The beaded thing there is… well, I don't know what it is. I just strung beads together and got that. I sucked at it, honestly."

His girlfriend tried desperately not to laugh as she picked up the little mass ball of beads. A couple beads stuck out in some places, making it look spiky. "It reminds me of those old sea mines they used during World War II or something." She nodded. "Yeah. It's a sea mine!"

"Uh, sure," Ichigo agreed, likely because he had no better argument for what it could be.

Orihime then moved onto the last charm, a jade block with kanji engraved into it. "What's this one?" she asked. "The one you bought?"

"It's a luck charm, supposedly. And, uh…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I didn't buy it, actually. It was given to me, sort of. It's – it was my mother's."

Orihime almost dropped the bracelet in surprise. She immediately looked up at Ichigo, her eyes wide. "Your mother's?"

"She had a bracelet like yours once, too. She left some of the charms behind for me and my sisters."

"But this is yours," she said. "I couldn't-"

"Orihime…" Ichigo let out a low laugh. "I don't think Mom intended for me to wear it. I think she'd want me to give it to someone I cared about, so… I'm giving it to you. Besides, it's supposed to be good luck so maybe it'll help you."

Because she knew he would insist, and because it was his choice, Orihime smiled and nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly but sincerely as she put the bracelet on.

Wanting to break the awkward silence that was beginning to fill the air between them, Ichigo quickly picked up his present. "My turn."

Orihime shifted in her seat, and grinned as Ichigo tore off the wrapping paper. When he was met with smooth mahogany, it was his turn to give her a questioning look. "Open it," she encouraged. He nodded, and she watched eagerly as he slowly opened the double-sided photo frame.

He held each photo frame in one of his hands, balancing it carefully so they didn't shut close again. "I recognize this photo," he said, nodding to the photo in the right frame.

"That was from our last day of school before the break started," Orihime said. "Tatsuki-chan took that picture." Even though the frames were facing away from her, Orihime could still see the picture clearly in her mind: she and Ichigo were sitting at his desk, with him in his seat and her on top of his desk. They were looking at each other, smiling about something that had been said. "I really like that one."

"Me too," Ichigo said absent-mindedly as he stared at the other photo. "But this one…"

"Tatsuki-chan had it." Orihime smiled when confusion bloomed on Ichigo's face. "It was from the field trip our grade took in middle school. It was… shortly after Onii-chan died, and Tatsuki-chan and I had just started becoming friends."

"You mean that trip to the botanical garden?"

"Yeah! Do you remember?"

"A little," Ichigo said as he kept staring at the picture. In it, he was handing something to Orihime. It was strange seeing her hair so short, but the more he thought about it, the more he started to remember. "I think you dropped something, and I gave it back to you."

"We didn't talk much," Orihime said, "but it kind of felt like you were checking up on me and… I was happy. I had completely forgotten about it though until Tatsuki-chan showed me the photo." She looked down at her folded hands and continued, "You know, I like to think of it as our start. We may not have talked much but it was something. I like to think of it as the beginning, rather than that night at the clinic."

Setting the frame down, Ichigo reached over and took Orihime's hands in his. "Me too," he said.

* * *

"Say, Ichigo," Orihime said after dinner, as they walked towards the park. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"What happened today with Shirosaki-kun." When she looked up, she noticed he was grimacing. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he said. "I just hate remembering it."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I know. I'm sorry I worried you, but it turned out to be a good thing. We know more now."

"But we don't-" He shook his head. "We need to stay positive. Right." Not willing to dwell on that particular aspect, he asked, "Were you thinking about anything in particular?"

"It was something Shun-o said. After they appeared, she said to Shirosaki-kun that it was in his nature to protect me, too. Do you think that's true?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, agreeing far more easily than Orihime expected. "I know it is, because it's in mine. I've been protective of you for awhile. You remember all the times Shinji teased me about, right? Well, he had a point, and if it's in my nature then it's in my Hollow's as well."

"It all goes back to Hueco Mundo, doesn't it?" Orihime said thoughtfully.

To her surprise, again, Ichigo shook his head. "It goes back farther than that. At first I thought that maybe it started back when you got your powers and we were all gearing up to break into Soul Society." He then tapped his coat pocket, where he had put Orihime's photo frame. "But after I saw that photo today, I realized that it goes back even further. After your brother died, I kind of kept checking up on you. That day at the garden was just one of those times. Even after I had forgotten about that night at the clinic and the garden, I still kept making sure you were okay. I'd look over my shoulder and think, 'Is that Inoue girl doing okay? Did she hurt herself again?'"

Even as Orihime blushed in embarrassment, he continued, "So, while I think that instinct started to become its strongest during the battle with Ulquiorra, the foundation was already there and strong. I think that's a lot of the reason why this bond _is _so strong. A strong house needs a strong foundation, right?"

"Right." Orihime nodded. "So, Shirosaki-kun won't hurt me. But…" Her heart constricted in her chest as she added, "I don't think I was the one in danger to begin with. I think it's you who's in danger."

She watched as he breathed out once, then twice. His breath was visible in the air as the wind picked up and blew it away. After a long moment, he said, "Yeah, I know. Honestly, I'm relieved. I said that I'd rather have it going after me than you."

"But you don't realize it when he's doing whatever he's doing," she argued. "At least I do. I know you can sense him when he's getting more persistent and stronger, but I can, too. And I think I… I think I could stop him."

Ichigo snorted, and looked up at the night sky. "That's the same thing Rukia said. Even if you can, I don't want it to do something that could-"

"But he won't hurt me. He can't," she said, knowing where Ichigo was going with his argument. "If what you and Shun-o said is true, he can't. I stopped him or you or both of you or whoever it was on the dome. I can stop him."

"But how?"

Orihime smiled knowingly. "I have an idea or two, but I need time to think them through."

Ichigo frowned in suspicion. "Orihime-"

She suddenly stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the lips. "It's okay. It's Christmas: we're not supposed to be spending the whole night talking about this, remember?"

"You're just trying to change the subject," Ichigo said after he kissed her back.

She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him down, giving him another kiss. It was potent enough to leave her head spinning and nearly topple them over. When they broke apart, she asked, a bit _too _cheerfully, "Is it working?"

"Yes," he said with a groan. "Damn you," he said, though she knew he was completely kidding.

Satisfied that she could thoroughly distract him, Orihime hid her triumphant smile as he bent down to continue with his "distraction". She knew she would have to reveal what she was planning eventually, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy this first Christmas with Ichigo and the peace that surrounded them.

What she did not know was that peace was not going to last for much longer.

* * *

**A/N: **And I leave you with that nice, ominous ending sentence. More stuff will happen next **_chapter _**and hopefully that won't take too long to write and post. 'Til next time.


	26. Chapter 26

And another late chapter. At the very least I can say this isn't the result of laziness. School started up again and stuff in my personal life hit the fan pretty suddenly and at the same time, so writing had to take a backseat for awhile. But everything is getting better and I'm back into a writing groove, if this chapter is any proof.

A million thanks to everyone who reviewed. I will get to your replies after this chapter is posted (I figured you'd all want the update first, then the replies anyway). Much thanks to **le etoile **for looking over this chapter. So without going into another long, obnoxious author's notes, I give you Chapter 26.

* * *

**Chapter 26**

_Come with us or else_

Ichigo briefly wondered if something was wrong with Shinji. Who expected anyone to be up and at their best at eight in the freaking morning? Ichigo never was, even during school, and he was less so during his vacation. Yet today he was at the warehouse at 8 AM on the dot, still trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes, all because Shinji thought that it was a perfectly normal hour to be training.

If it hadn't been for yesterday's events, Ichigo would have told Shinji where he could shove that early riser attitude and gone back to bed.

Even his usually upbeat girlfriend was yawning as they walked down the stairs towards the training grounds. "I hope this is the earliest we'll ever have to come," she said.

"If we do, I'll throttle him," Ichigo said with his usual scowl. "We're on vacation. I shouldn't have to be up before ten."

As they reached the bottom, they looked around and noticed none of the Vizards were down yet. "You're kidding me," Ichigo said. "_They're _not even up."

Taking it in stride, Orihime sat down, propping herself up against one of the rocks. "Maybe they're running late. Let's just wait for them down here."

"If they're going to be late, then they can at least get us some breakfast," Ichigo mumbled as he sat next to her.

Orihime giggled, pressing her hand against his cheek. "Grumpy-pants."

"I am not," he muttered. "I'm tired."

"And cranky." Despite his mild glare, she kept giggling as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "That's okay, though. I love my grumpy-pants."

Ichigo felt himself stiffening at her words. He still wasn't used to hearing that. Hell, he still had a hard time even accepting the fact that she did. He glanced down at her and saw that she had noticed his sudden discomfort. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I'm not used to it yet."

"I'm not used to even saying it," Orihime admitted. "It kind of slipped out."

"But isn't that a good thing?" Ichigo rested his head against hers. "It should come naturally, right?"

"In time," she said, both in answer and in reassurance to his struggle.

"Well…" He closed his eyes, letting them rest. "I love my unnaturally-never-grumpy-pants, so I guess we're good on that score."

He felt Orihime's body shake in suppressed laughter; he really did have a weird way of expressing himself. "We're really strange sometimes," she said.

Ichigo nodded. He agreed, but as time passed, he was beginning to realize that he liked how "strange" they were and how they functioned. _I wouldn't change it, _he thought to himself with a small smile.

* * *

"Oi, Ichigo!"

The voice pulled him out of sleep, but he refused to open his eyes. He was comfortable, and he didn't want to budge.

Someone's foot pushed against his leg. "Wake up!"

As his mind cleared of the fog of sleep (and as he continued to ignore the nagging voice), he realized that Orihime was sleeping against his side. He nearly smiled as he recalled the last time he had woken up at her side. She was just as warm and soft and he wanted to-

"I know you're awake, because you're nearly-smiling about something. Get _up._"

Now he recognized the voice as belonging to one tiny, very annoying shinigami. "Go the hell away, Rukia."

"You're supposed to be training today, remember? Or would you rather nap?"

His eyes shot open as he remembered _where _he had fallen asleep. "Oh hell," he muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I guess we nodded off."

"I guess you did." Rukia shook her head as she handed him a Styrofoam cup. "It's tea."

"Thanks," he said as he took it from her, his eyes averted to his sleeping girlfriend. He nudged her with his elbow, feeling a pang of guilt as she mumbled and opened her eyes. "Wake up."

Blinking away the sleep in her eyes, Orihime sat up straight when she realized where they were. "Oh my – I didn't realize we had…"

"Don't worry. We just got here a few minutes ago." Rukia handed her the other cup she was holding. "Apparently you two were the only ones to get here on time."

Ichigo frowned heavily as he looked past Rukia. He saw the Vizards and his friends gathered in a loose circle not far from them. "Oi!" he shouted to them. "What's the deal?"

"Well hell, someone's awake," Shinji said with his usual grin. "Have a nice nap?"

"Shove it. Where were you?"

"These bozos are late," he said, jabbing a finger at Ichigo's friends. His comment was met with considerable protest and grumbles. "We, on the other hand, were held up."

"Being held up is the same thing as being late," Ichigo retorted dryly.

"It was that Neliel chick," Shinji said. "She popped through a Garganta and talked to us."

"Nel-san was here?" Orihime said in surprise.

"Yeah. Came by to let us know she'd start helping out with training once the shinigami left." Shinji shrugged. "She didn't want to push her luck. Plus, she said something about not wanting to leave Grimmjow alone with the other Hollows for long." He chuckled at the thought. "I guess they're trying to establish a colony with the survivors from Las Noches, and let's face it: Grimmjow isn't the best peacekeeper."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "She's got to have her hands full with that."

"It's her call," Hiyori said. "If we're done chit-chatting, can we get on with this?"

Ishida sent her a sharp look. "I prefer if we were all at least caffeinated before we did," he said. "Ten minutes is not going to make a difference."

"I'm not starting until I drink my tea," Ichigo said before Hiyori could argue. "So just shut up and wait a few minutes."

He almost dropped his tea as Hiyori's sandal smacked his forehead.

Once everyone had had their tea and was considerably more awake (and Ichigo nursing a small lump on his forehead), Shinji tossed his cap on a nearby rock and said loudly, "All right. Let's get this party started. Now-"

"Um…" Orihime raised her hand meekly. "Shinji-kun? Can we do something before we really get into training?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Well, Shun-o wanted me to try something." She took a step forward. "Yesterday when we were talking, she said that if we were right about the powers crossing, then my powers should be able to influence all of Ichigo-kun's." She laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, if I can influence Shirosaki-kun like I've been able to, it should work with Zangetsu as well."

Hachi nodded in agreement. "It is worth trying," he said to Shinji. "Besides, it's a rather curious idea."

"So how do we test it?" Love asked.

Renji, still drinking his tea, shrugged one shoulder as he suggested, "Ichigo should throw a Getsuga Tenshou. Inoue can try to see if she can weaken it. That's the only thing I can think of."

"Works for me," Shinji said. "Okay Ichigo. You heard him. Swing a Tenshou out and make sure to put some _oomph _into it."

_I always put _oomph _into them, _Ichigo thought with a scowl as he drew out Zangetsu. _Who the hell says _oomph _anyway?_

Orihime smiled as she touched her hairpins. "Stop thinking grumpy thoughts," she lightly chided.

"I am _not _grumpy," he muttered. He glanced at his girlfriend before aiming his gaze at his target: a hapless large rock in the distance. "You ready?" he said to her.

"Go for it!"

Ichigo swung his arm back, his fingers tightening around Zangetsu's hilt. "Getsuga…"

Meanwhile, Orihime was focusing on her powers, channeling her will and energy into the Shun Shun Rikka. "Come on guys," she said as her hairpins glowed.

"Tenshou!" Ichigo yelled as he let loose his attack.

Orihime closed her eyes and willed her Rikka to weaken the attack. _You can do it_, she encouraged them as her pins continued to glow.

The Getsuga Tenshou swung out from Zangetsu. As Ichigo stepped to counter-balance the momentum, he suddenly stumbled. "What the...?"

The Tenshou flew through the air, but when it hit the intended target, it made much less of a mess than expected. The rock was still demolished, but with less of the explosion and noise than Ichigo - or anyone - had expected.

"What happened?" Rukia asked, glancing at Ichigo.

He shook his head, trying to register what he felt. He knew he had put as much of his strength into it as he could (at least in his shikai form) but the result was not anything like it should have been. "That was weird. It's like at the last second my power just diminished."

Shinji grinned when he looked over at Orihime. "I think it's safe to say who the culprit is. Good work, Orihime-chan. Yer little fairies were right."

"I wonder something though," Hachi mused as Orihime beamed from the praise. She looked up at him curiously when he added, "Could it work the other way around?"

"We already know Ichigo can influence her powers a bit," Riza said, assuming that's what Hachi had meant. "It happened during the Vasto Lorde battle, remember?"

"Oh I know," Hachi said with a smile. "Who doesn't remember? But I meant that if she can weaken his powers, then surely she can strengthen them?"

"I'd like to try that!" Orihime said enthusiastically. "It'd be fun!"

_Technically it should work_, Ichigo thought as he stared at the ground_. But it's safer to weaken powers than it is to amplify them. What if something happens?_

"Stop worrying," Rukia said, lightly smacking Ichigo on the arm. "The worst that can happen is you make a big mess. That's what training grounds are for."

Orihime took Ichigo's hand in hers when he hesitated. "It'll be okay," she said in reassurance. "I won't strengthen it too much, or I'll try not to anyway."

Though he still was wary at the thought of packing onto his already considerable power, Ichigo relented for Orihime's sake. "Okay. We can try."

Smiling in excitement, Orihime took a step back and motioned for Ichigo to start. "Ready when you are."

_Here goes nothing_, Ichigo thought as he drew his arm back again. "Okay. Getsuga..."

Repeating her motions from earlier, Orihime put her willpower into her Rikka, waiting for Ichigo to make his move.

"Tenshou!" Ichigo swung, though he put much less - in Shinji's words - _oomph_ into it this time.

"Make it strong," Orihime murmured to her Rikka. "You can do it."

Her hairpins glowed, and as the Tenshou arched out, Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt its power suddenly spike. "Whoa!" he shouted as the Tenshou roared through the air and slammed into a bunch of rocks on the other side of the room. The resulting explosion was immense, rocking the room as the rocks were obliterated.

When the show was over, Shinji let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Damn," he said. "That worked well."

Orihime chuckled nervously. "Oh boy. I guess it was a bit too amped up. Sorry, Ichigo-kun."

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly as he stabbed Zangetsu into the ground. "Still... wow." Slightly surprised still, he sat down on the ground, tuning out the chatter of the others. It was there, on the ground, lost in his thoughts that an idea wiggled its way in.

After long minutes of contemplation and a growing sense of uneasiness from his Hollow that Ichigo came to a decision. He suddenly jumped to his feet and said, "I want to try bringing out the Hollow form."

He received a few surprised blinks and blank stares in answer. "Diving right in?" Rose asked. "That's not quite your style."

"I have an idea," Ichigo said. Moving quickly to act before he changed his mind, he held his hand out to Orihime. "You with me?"

Although she had no idea what he was planning, Orihime grasped his hand in hers, accepting his offer based on faith alone. "Yeah. What are you thinking of doing?"

"If you can influence my powers, then you should be able to influence that Hollow form, right?"

"I guess. The Rikka said I do that, though, not them. That's why we can't figure this whole thing out."

It was a roadblock in his plan, but not a big one and Ichigo was determined. "Okay. So maybe it's a different sort of influence. Either way, since you seem to have some kind of grip over it, you should be able to help me bring it out."

From a safe distance behind the shinigami and Vizards, Tatsuki raised her brow. "You think you can do it, Ichigo?" she said.

"Are you sure you even want to?" Keigo asked, notably concerned about Ichigo's plan.

Ichigo made an indelicate snorting sound at Keigo's question. "Not really, but the whole reason we're down here is to figure that form out. It's no use just sitting here and talking. All I can do is try to bring it out and see what happens."

"Sounds good to me," Shinji said, bringing out Sakanade. "Just give us word when yer ready so _we're _ready," he added. "If that thing comes out, I'd rather be prepared."

Everyone down in that basement was versed in this, so Rukia motioned for Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro to stay back while weapons were drawn.

Playing it safe, though he knew it wouldn't make that much of a difference, Ichigo took several steps back and away from his friends. He glanced at Orihime and gave her an encouraging smirk. "Don't worry. We're only gonna pull it out, or try to. The moment I do you can just make me revert back, okay?"

"S-Sure," Orihime said, clutching her hands together tightly.

"You ready?" Ichigo said to her.

She barely managed a nod.

_Don't be scared,_ he thought, almost wishing it was her who could read his thoughts instead of the other way around. He didn't know how well this would work, and even if he did, he was confident she would be able to stop him - again - if it came down to it. "All right. Let's do this."

The tricky part was always in remembering what he did to bring out that Hollow form. Though he could clearly remember that training session when he almost succeeded, it was the process itself that was hazy in his mind. Focus on that emptiness, he thought to himself, recalling how his chest would feel hollow before the transformation took over.

He pushed and pushed inside, drawing on his Hollow powers while trying to bring back that emptiness he felt. It wasn't pleasant, especially since he didn't know what he was exactly doing, but he had to try.

* * *

Meanwhile, Orihime concentrated on her thoughts and inside, waiting for any changes. She closed her eyes, and after a long minute, she began to feel something different. It almost felt like her chest was expanding, getting fuller. _Okay_, she thought, _now I have to see if I can... will it_. She felt a strange influx of emotions. They were similar to hers, but yet different. It was like going from having one emotional pipeline inside her to having two. They both did the same thing, but it was obvious there were two at work. _Odd..._

During the battle with the Vasto Lorde, she remembered that she had tapped into those emotions to stop Ichigo. Now all I have to do is the opposite, like with his Tenshou. Biting her lip in anticipation, Orihime gingerly reached into those emotions. _I want that form to come out,_ she thought over and over; it was the only thing she could think of doing.

Then, she felt something change.

* * *

That expansive emptiness Ichigo was reaching for suddenly came, and he saw his vision darken. He was losing his sanity again, and as much as it scared him, he knew it was a sign that it was working. With his last dreg of control, he put his hand over his chest, and he felt the hole opening up.

He gave it a final push, and his vision went completely black.

The Vizards saw the transformation starting, and immediately grips on zanpakutou handles tightened. Ishida drew out his bow, and Chad placed himself directly in front of Tatsuki and the boys.

The Hollow mask was forming over his face. The horns began to grow, and the fur patches on Ichigo's wrists and ankles sprouted. His skin began to whiten as the mask enclosed his face, and his fingernails lengthened and sharpened.

Orihime looked up, and she gasped as she saw how much he had transformed. "Ichigo-kun?"

He looked up, the mask almost complete when suddenly, his eyes widened. The mask broke, and the hole in his chest closed up as Ichigo reverted back to his human form. He tumbled to the ground.

"Ichigo-kun!" Orihime called out as she ran over towards him.

She went to his side as the others hurried over, forming a circle around him. Shinji knelt next to him, his face forcefully composed as he shook him. "Oi, Ichigo!"

Blinking, Ichigo lifted up his head. "Damn it," he said, his fist clenching in the dirt. "I almost had it."

"What happened?" Mashiro asked.

"My Hollow. I was drawing on its power, and I almost had it when it pulled back. It stopped the transformation."

Shinji's eyes narrowed. "Piece of shit. It can do that?"

"Apparently." Ichigo got up on his hands and knees. "I don't think I can do this without the Hollow's cooperation."

Orihime frowned, her fingers brushing over Ichigo's shoulders. "Then we need to convince Shirosaki-kun to work with you, instead of against you."

"It won't listen to me," Ichigo said.

Smiling in knowing, Orihime pulled Ichigo until he toppled over and fell into her lap. "You'll pass out soon," she said, recalling the past couple incidents. "So get some rest, and don't worry about Shirosaki-kun."

Ichigo looked up at her in confusion, his expression matched by everyone else in the room. "What do you mean 'don't worry'?"

"I've got a plan, remember?" she said, her smile mysterious. "Just get some rest."

As she predicted, Ichigo could already feel exhaustion encroaching. His eyelids were drifting shut, and he barely managed, "Someone talk to her," before falling asleep.

* * *

In the four hours he'd been asleep, Ichigo missed the following:

One, the several attempts made by almost everyone to persuade Orihime to reveal her plan,

Two, all those attempts failing miserably, and

Three, orders for lunch.

Granted, the last one wasn't especially important, but he did miss out on choosing between a home-cooked meal and takeout Thai food.

He also missed an exchange between Rukia and Orihime. While he was resting, and everyone else was placing orders for lunch, Rukia had walked over to Orihime, who was contemplating something as she stared at Ichigo's sleeping form.

Rukia glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was watching – or listening – as she bent down to Orihime. "Are you sure about this?" she murmured.

Orihime glanced up, her brow puckered in confusion. "About what?"

"This plan of yours."

"Oh." Orihime shrugged one of her shoulders. "I haven't gotten it all figured out yet. I need to talk to the Shun Shun Rikka before I do, but I plan on carrying it out."

Rukia nodded. "All right. Be cautious with his Hollow. It's a rather unpredictable being, from what I've heard."

"How did you know?" Orihime asked. "I mean, about my plan."

"I have a good guess as to what it involves. It's okay. I think you can do it," Rukia said with her confident smile. "Not long ago I even told Ichigo that you might be the only one who could stop his Hollow. It might not listen to Ichigo, but it seems to listen to you."

Orihime almost couldn't believe that Rukia was agreeing with her – and even encouraging her. Not that the short shinigami didn't have her back, but it was nice to hear someone who believed in her instead of just being worried. "I thought so, too. It's a worth a try anyway." She paused, and smiled softly. "Thank you, Rukia-chan."

"For…?"

"Believing in me. You and Tatsuki-chan and Hachi-san, too. I noticed you guys didn't say anything when everyone was trying to get me to talk about my plan."

"Well, like I said, I had an idea of what you were doing. I think Arisawa knows better than any of us how strong you are, and I think Hachi is the same, though I don't know him very well." Rukia glanced over at the others, oblivious to their conversation. "You'll be fine. I think everyone is just worried because of the Hollow, not because they don't believe in you."

"Shirosaki-kun is planning something," Orihime began, her tone quiet. "I plan on figuring out what it is and talking him out of it. Maybe I can learn more from him, too. He's the only one who knows what's going on."

"When do you plan on doing this?"

"After I talk to the Rikka and figure out a strategy. I'll need their help to do this."

"I'm not sure _how _you plan on talking to it, but it seems like you know."

Orihime merely smiled. "It's a two-way path. Anyway, are they still taking orders for lunch?"

"Yeah. We're getting Thai." Rukia looked down at Ichigo, her smirk amused. "Did you want anything for yourself and the snoring one?"

"Ichigo-kun snores?"

"Sleep in his closet for a week and you'll hear it. It's terrible."

Unable to help herself, Orihime giggled. "I never thought him to be a snorer. Well, I'll take fried rice with shrimp, and I guess make two orders of that. I'm sure he'll be hungry when he gets up."

Rukia got to her feet. "Right. I'll let them know."

As she walked away, Orihime looked down at Ichigo and smiled. "So you snore?" she said, tracing his jaw with her fingertips. There was something endearing about that fact. It was small and new and _normal, _something they had been lacking recently. Plus, it was something she didn't know about him before, and she always loved learning something new about Ichigo.

_He scowls, he fights, he protects, and he snores. _She had to fight another bout of giggles. _That's my Ichigo-kun._

* * *

Shortly after Riza and Rose came back with lunch, Ichigo woke up.

"Eat up," Shinji said, tossing the bag with Orihime's and his food. "We eat, then we try again."

And they did. Then they tried another time. And then another. Unfortunately, they made less progress each time. By the time it was evening, everyone was at their wit's end and exhausted.

"Your Hollow is a royal pain in the ass," Hiyori said to Ichigo, her arms crossed.

"I can't help it," Ichigo argued, his eyes narrowed as he panted from the exertion of several failed re-attempts. "It won't let me do it."

"On the bright side," Shinji said with a thoughtful smile, "that must mean we're getting close. Too close for its comfort. But I'm wiped and so is everyone else. We better call it a day."

"Finally," Ichigo said, stretching out his back. He turned his gaze towards Orihime. However, instead of her gathering her things or chatting with Tatsuki, she was carefully watching Rukia. Perplexed, Ichigo followed her stare, and saw his mentor talking on her communicator. That wasn't anything new, and he was about to ask what was going on when he noticed Rukia's brow pucker in worry, even as her tone remained even on the phone.

"Right. I understand." She hung up and then immediately dialed another number. She put it back to her ear, but jerked it back after a few seconds. "Odd."

"What's up?" Renji asked as Orihime and Ichigo continued to watch from a distance.

"That was Hitsugaya-taichou earlier. We can't get a hold of Soul Society." She glanced up at Renji, her expression still worried. "I just tried and I can't get through either."

Renji bowed his head forward in consideration. "Sometimes we get disruptions in the signal or the 12th squad does maintenance on the lines."

"I know, but usually we're notified of those. And why are our communicators working at all if the signal is disrupted?" Rukia shook her head, mystified by this. "It makes no sense."

Orihime finally worked up the nerve to walk over, her smile hesitant as she said, "Ah, is everything okay?"

That worried pucker in Rukia's brow disappeared instantly, replaced with a forced smile. "Yes. Just some issues with the communicators."

"I'm going to go over to the Shouten to see if Urahara might know what's going on," Renji added. "It's probably nothing, though. Some rookie in the 12th division might have just hit a cable or something."

"I'll go with you," Rukia said, completing ignoring the urge to add that Kurotsuchi-taichou very rarely _let _rookies near the big equipment, lest they screw up and he was compelled to make test subjects of them. Pushing aside the disturbing imagery, Rukia peered around Orihime to look at Ichigo. "See you at the clinic."

"Right. Come on, Orihime," he said, extending his hand to her. "I'll walk you back."

Orihime waved to Rukia before hurrying over to Ichigo, taking his hand with a smile as they headed for the stairs.

As the others began to clear out as well, Rukia's earlier expression returned. Renji instantly saw it and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay? You've been worried ever since the captain called."

"I know it's probably just nothing," she began, chewing on her thumbnail. "But it's just that… the last time we couldn't contact Soul Society was the same night Orihime was kidnapped."

A considering pause filled the air for a moment as Renji chewed over her words. "I forgot about that," he muttered. "But, what are the chances? Besides, everyone is here in one place. We won't go back if we can't get a hold of Soul Society, so we'll all be okay, right?"

It should have been enough to console her, and Rukia loved – er, appreciated Renji trying to cheer her up with honest words. Yet… it wasn't enough. "I don't know why, Renji, but I just can't shake this bad feeling I have."

* * *

Dusk had almost settled in when Ichigo and Orihime reached her apartment. Standing outside her door, the two teenagers stared at each other for a long, suspenseful moment. Normally they'd talk a bit more before kissing good-bye, but something was holding them both back tonight.

"Ichigo-kun," Orihime finally said, "do you trust me?"

He blinked, surprised at her words, especially with how bluntly she put it. "Of course I do," he said, trying not to be a little bit hurt.

"I know you do for the most part," she said, taking his hand in hers. "But I meant even with the dangerous stuff."

"Like my Hollow," Ichigo said, his scowl deepening. He knew where she was going with this. "I don't like the thought of it going near you. I also get the feeling you plan on going near it in the near future."

She stroked the back of his hand soothingly, as if her touch alone wasn't calming. "I'll be fine. This has to end, and Rukia-chan was right; I have to be the one to do it. I'll be okay," she repeated when worry lines creased his forehead. "He won't hurt me. _You _won't hurt me."

He was never great with words, but Ichigo had an especially hard time articulating what he was feeling. He shook his head slightly, exasperated with his own thoughts. "I wish I could trust it like you did," he managed. "I don't know how you do it."

"I told you before…" She reached up and stroked his cheek. "He's you, and I trust you. I love you, so I love him. It's that simple."

She never ceased to amaze him. He found himself in awe of her as he pulled her into an embrace, showing instead of saying how he felt. Even before they began dating, she always amazed him. He wondered if that would ever stop. He hoped not.

"I'm still going to be worried," he said, practically conceding to her plan.

He felt her smile against his chest. "I know. I would, too, if it was the other way around. I can't tell you not to be worried. Just trust me. I'm going to settle this soon, for the both of us."

Silence filled the air around them, but they were fine with it. He was happy to just stand there and hold her, and she was content to be held without saying anything. However, the wind began to pick up as it grew darker, and they had to let go.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Ichigo said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Mmhmm. See you then."

With a small smile he bent down to give her a proper kiss, short but potent. He could always tell how much it affected Orihime by how much she was blushing, and she was quite pink when they broke apart. His smile turned into a grin, and he gave her another kiss on the head before turning around and taking the stairs two at a time.

* * *

Being a substitute shinigami and well-trained in the martial arts, Ichigo never really feared walking home alone in the dark, not since he was small. The shadows were not an object of fear, for he could sense movement even in the deepest black. It was a non-issue for him.

Tonight was a little different.

Something had his hairs standing on end. For reasons he couldn't explain, he kept glancing at every corner, every shadow and hiding spot for a threat he couldn't name. He was paranoid about certain things – his loved ones' and their safety – but not about the imaginary boogeyman waiting in the dark. This wasn't like him, and he kept telling himself that.

Yet he couldn't ignore the sudden dread and anxiety. A large part of him wanted to turn back around and run to Orihime's home. She was always made him feel better, even in his worst moods.

He was halfway home, though, and he thought he would be a total idiot for turning back. _There's no one here, _he thought, glancing around. Still his senses were tingling, and even his Hollow seemed uneasy.

Ichigo began to walk past a small community park, the same one he always went by on the way back from Orihime's. Something made him pause in his tracks, and his eyes narrowed as he watched the trees and shadows. Reason and logic couldn't sway his instincts; there was something – or someone – there.

Suddenly, from his right, a figure stepped out from behind a large monument in the park. Ichigo immediately went into a defensive stance, his hand itching for his shinigami badge. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"Impressive. Very impressive," the figure said, slowly walking towards Ichigo. "I hid my reiatsu and yet you still sensed me."

"Who are you?" Ichigo said, gritting his teeth.

The figure stopped walking when it was under the illumination of a lamplight. He smiled slyly and answered, "My apologies. I am Commander Kurou of the Royal Guard."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. _What the hell is he doing here? _he thought. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting that Reiou guy?"

"Yes, that is my principal duty. I'm a bit surprised you know about that," he said, his expression almost pensive looking. He shrugged elegantly. "No matter. The Reiou and his family are still guarded. We wouldn't leave them defenseless, of course, even in this important acquisition."

"We?"

On cue, Ryou, Nori and a small portion of other Guard members loyal to them stepped into view, previously hidden in shadow. "My friends. Everyone, this is Kurosaki Ichigo."

"We meet at last," Nori said, chuckling under his breath.

In the back of Ichigo's mind, Shirosaki was growing restless and uneasy, and Ichigo felt the same. These people knew his name, and that was never a good thing. _This is an ambush. _"What do you want?" he said, his hand reaching into his back pocket for his badge. "I don't know anything about your Reiou."

Kurou waved off his words. "An understandable conclusion, but we're not here because of him. We're here because of you."

Ichigo's anxiety was turning into fear, churning around in his gut. "Why?"

"You see, we've been interested in you and your abilities for some time, namely that Hollow form of yours." Kurou smiled sardonically. "Like I said, we're here for an acquisition."

Ichigo's fear was now border lining panic. "Acquiring what?"

"Simple. You."

And that panic began to spread. This wasn't just an ambush; it was outright kidnapping. Having long learned not to let panic take over, Ichigo fortified his will and pulled out his badge. "Like hell you'll-"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Told you he wasn't going to come easy."

Kurou shook his head. "I was afraid so. Ichigo-san, let me rephrase what I said. We want your powers." His smile vanished into a cruel frown as he drew out his sword. "If you're expecting a fight, you're quite wrong. It's no good to us if you're beaten and bloody. Your friends, and particularly that sweetheart of yours is a different story."

Ichigo nearly dropped his badge in shock, his limbs freezing as he registered Kurou's threat. "You…"

"Yes. Either you come with us or else your loved ones die, one by one." Kurou pointed his sword in the direction of Orihime's home. "It's your choice, boy."

* * *

Don't you love 'em cliffhangers? 'Til next time, kiddies.


	27. Chapter 27

Wow, it's nice not to have to apologize right off the bat.

Yes, very quick update on my end. This is one of the few chapters that just came to me rather easily. My lovely beta-readers also got back to me very fast, so much thanks to both of them for the quick edit.

Mucho grande thanks for all the reviews, even if most of them were yelling at me for the cliffhanger. Granted, I deserved it. But see, I updated nice and fast so you guys weren't left hanging long. Aren't I nice? ...Don't answer that.

Anywhoo, thanks again everyone, and here's the next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 27**

_It all comes tumbling down_

It was barely dawn when both Rukia and Orihime woke in their beds at the same time, startled out of their sleep. In the murky morning light, they laid in their beds, pushing away the cobwebs of sleep while trying to understand why they were awake. Sleepiness was quickly replaced with an unexplained dread that built with each passing second. It festered in the pits of their stomachs and reverberated throughout their bodies. They didn't know what it was, but regardless, they both jumped out of their beds, knowing that they had to get up.

Knowing that something was wrong.

Orihime ran down the hall to her living room, her breathing accelerated by this intuitive panic. Her eyes darted to her sleeping housemates, roving over each one individually until she knew they were well.

_Everything seems okay here,_ she thought. But if the emergency wasn't here, then where was it?

Rukia ran lightly towards Ichigo's room as to not wake the rest of the household. She pushed open his doorway, expecting to see him in his bed. However, she was in for a nasty surprise.

"Ichigo?" she whispered, his bed empty and still made. He didn't even sleep in it last night. She stepped into his room and began to look around, searching for some clue as to his whereabouts. While almost tearing apart his room, her eyes fell on a folded up piece of paper on his desk.

She opened the letter, and her fingers began to tremble.

Orihime's next instinct was Ichigo. Her eyes widening, she immediately began searching for his reiatsu. Long seconds passed, and the seed of dread in her stomach curled and grew into the root of panic.

She couldn't sense him at all.

Rukia lowered the letter in her hands when she was finished reading it. The message had winded her, so she felt like she couldn't even _breathe_. Her eyes stared blankly at the wall in front of her as she processed what she had just read.

In unison, both girls realized, _He's gone._

* * *

It didn't matter that it was an ungodly hour of the morning. Everyone close to Ichigo – his friends, the shinigami, those in the Shouten, and the Vizards – were called and woken up in rapid succession.

It wasn't even six in the morning when many of those called met in an empty parking lot near Ichigo's house. Rukia was there, waiting and shivering in her jacket and pajamas as Renji arrived, with Ishida, Sado, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro right on his heels.

"Have you seen him?" she demanded immediately, her arms crossed to keep out the chill.

"No. What the hell happened?" Renji asked, his long hair hanging loose instead of being in its usual ponytail. The others looked just as unkempt; although most of them were in regular street clothes, none of them had taken the time to look presentable otherwise before rushing here.

"I just woke up suddenly. He didn't come home last night, so I checked on him and he was gone. There was just a letter." She looked past Renji, as if expecting to see something. "Isn't Urahara with you?"

"We tried calling Shinji, but no one at the warehouse answered." Renji's gaze was temporarily cast in the direction of the warehouse district. "To be honest, Urahara looked pretty put off when I told him about Ichigo. Something else is up. He even flat out told me to go help with the search while he went to the warehouse."

Ishida raised an eyebrow. "You mean as if he didn't want you to come with him?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Renji blew out a breath. "That damn shopkeeper is hiding something again."

Sado looked over his shoulder, and nodded to something behind him. "Inoue and the shinigami."

Everyone looked over, and they watched in silence as Orihime and the shinigami stationed in town ran up to them. Orihime was trembling, but it wasn't just from the cold. "Rukia-chan, everyone…"

"How did you know he was gone?" Rukia asked. She had been surprised when Orihime had called her communicator, but her surprise had doubled when the first thing Orihime had asked was where Ichigo was.

Orihime rubbed her arms in an attempt to get warm and to calm herself. "It's strange. I woke up, like I was having a bad dream. At first that's what I thought it was, but then… I don't know. Something was telling me that something was wrong. When I saw Rangiku-san and the others were okay, I then thought of Ichigo-kun." Her stomach nearly revolted as she thought back to earlier, when the realization dawned on her that Ichigo was missing. "I couldn't sense his reiatsu, and I panicked. That's when I called you."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "Something must have happened that woke both of you up," he said. "It might have been when his reiatsu disappeared."

"Where could he have gone?" Momo asked.

"_Why _is he gone?" Tatsuki added, running a hand through her twice as unruly hair. "I mean, at least the last time this happened there was some kind of explanation, even if it was a stupid one. But he was fine yesterday."

"I don't know," Rukia said, her fists clenching at her sides. "Damn it. I've been harboring this gut feeling that something was going to happen, but I ignored it. Now-"

Renji immediately cut her off as he puts his hands on her shoulders. "Hey. Don't even try taking the blame for this. There's no way you could have known."

"Abarai is right," Ishida said. "There were no warning signs this time. Something must have happened to him between the time he left Inoue-san's house and this morning."

Shuffling his feet, Keigo looked at the shinigami, and then at his friends when no one said anything. He piped up, "Maybe he got into a fight."

"We would have known," Rangiku said, dismissing his suggestion. "Is it possible he was taken?"

Most of them looked incredulous at the suggestion, and Ishida voiced their thoughts, "I have a hard time imagining someone taking Kurosaki by force. Like you said, there would have been a fight and we would have sensed it."

Orihime clutched her hands tightly together, her gaze cast towards the ground. "Maybe he wasn't taken by force," she said. "But there are other ways of making someone go."

Rukia sighed softly. "Right. Sorry, Orihime." She went to put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

However, just as she did so, a voice called out, "How convenient. We don't have to round all of you up."

A chill shot down everyone's spines, and it had nothing to do with the biting wind. Hitsugaya immediately stepped out in front of the group, his eyes narrowed as a man wearing a uniform he had never seen approached them, followed by a few others who wore captain haori over their shoulders.

His eyes met the leader's, and he suddenly recognized him. "You – You're the one from the diner!"

Ryou smiled, though his eyes glinted with something far darker. "We meet again, Hitsugaya-taichou."

* * *

As things were about to go south in the human world, the proverbial light bulb was about to go off in Hueco Mundo.

Neliel was spread out over a large rock that jutted out over the side of a deep sand dune. Her knees were bent, leaving her legs and feet dangling in the air as she stretched out on her stomach. She relaxed, resting her head in her arms. Her eyes closing, she looked like she was ready to take a nap.

Even if she was, she wasn't going to be able to. A loud voice rang from behind her, "For fuck's sake, there you are!"

Suppressing an amused smile, Nel lifted up her head and glanced over her shoulder. "What is the matter, Grimmjow?"

He scowled at her splayed form as he trudged up the sand. "You know damn well what. What the hell possessed you to leave me alone with the others while they had that – that group thing?"

"It's called a meeting," Nel supplied for him, "and I wanted you to try and learn to get along with them. You are a part of this community as much as I am. They look up to you, even if you do tend to throw them across the sand pits when you're mad." Sometimes Nel wondered if Grimmjow even realized how good of a leader he could be, if he could just stay his temper. He had a way of getting people to follow him, even if his means were rather violent. He was also powerful. The others respected that.

"I'm not gonna stand there and tell these pussies what and what not to do. And I'm not here to make friends. I'm here because I have to be, and someone has to make sure some asshole doesn't come in and fuck things up."

"No one's making you stay," Nel said. "But from what you just said, you're here because you want to be. You're choosing to stay and protect us, and that's something." She half-smiled when he growled at her. One of these days, she mused, he was going to have to smarten up. "Besides, you used to have companions. Your Fraccion. Don't you miss having that?"

Grimmjow looked away, scowling at a random object in the distance. He shoved his hands into his pockets. Nel could tell he was getting defensive from his stance; she had hit a nerve. "What were you doing up here anyway?" he said, changing the subject.

She decided to go along with him, for now. She'd push the subject another day. "I was just thinking and getting my thoughts together."

He looked back at her, his eyes narrowing. "Damn it, Nel. Were you obsessing over Kurosaki's fucking Hollow form again?"

If she didn't have a better presence of mind, she'd have smiled. He was getting to know her. "Yes. It's bothering me that I can't understand this. I promised we'd help with figuring it out."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "You and your freaking bleeding heart. Do you even have a Hollow hole?"

Nel was about to answer that she did, a bit indignant at his accusation. However, his words, coupled with the mental image she had of Ichigo's Hollow form, stopped her.

She suddenly got up on her knees, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Hollow hole…"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "I was joking, you broad."

"Not me," Nel said, beckoning Grimmjow to be quiet. "Ichigo. His Hollow form. It had a Hollow hole."

Grimmjow waited, expecting her to continue. When she remained silent, obviously lost in thought, he growled and said, "And?"

She was onto something. Nel could feel it as she leaned back on her knees. "Grimmjow, what does a Hollow hole signify?"

"That you're a Hollow, dumbass."

She shot him an annoyed look. "Yes, but what does being a Hollow mean?"

"I hope you're gonna get to your point quick," Grimmjow muttered. Playing along for the moment, he shrugged and said, "It means you lost your heart and Hollowified."

"Exactly." Nel drummed her fingers on her thigh. "Think about it: if his Hollow form had that hole, it means that it didn't have a heart. It was truly a Hollow form."

"Yeah. That's what they've been saying, ain't it?"

Her drumming tempo increased as her excitement spiked. She was realizing something, and it was important. "Yes. A full Hollow form. Yet, it wasn't just his Hollow. Ichigo is a part of that form, too, right?"

She could see Grimmjow's patience running thin, so she continued, "Ichigo has a heart, Grimmjow. But he had a Hollow hole in that form."

It took him a few seconds, but she saw the light of understanding in his eyes when they widened. "What the…" He blinked, his brain scrambling to process this bit of information. "Where the fuck did his heart go, then?"

"That's the question, and I think that's the piece we've been missing." Grabbing her sword, Nel leapt off the rock and began running back towards the village. "This is something they need to hear."

"Yo, Nel!" Grimmjow shouted, running after her. "Where the fuck are you going?"

"The human world! This is going to help them!" she called back, her voice excited as she skidded down the sand bank.

* * *

Down in the makeshift village, Dondochakka and Pesshe were walking towards the entrance, intent on finding Nel. To their surprise, they didn't have to look far. They saw her running towards them, with Grimmjow following behind. It didn't look like he was chasing her (it wouldn't have been the first time), so they stood back and watched as she approached them.

"We're going to the human world!" Nel said to them when she was in earshot. "I figured something out about Ichigo's Hollow form."

Dondochakka cheered as Pesshe jumped up and down excitedly. "That's great! You're a genius, Nel-sama!"

"I'll open the Garganta!" Dondochakka volunteered before rushing off to open one.

Nel skid to a halt next to Pesshe. As she caught her breath, one of the Arrancar came up to her, likely having heard the commotion. "Is everything all right?"

She nodded. "Ah, Pascal. Yes, everything's fine." She heard Grimmjow yelling in the distance, and she knew she had to hurry. "Would you keep an eye on things while I'm gone? It shouldn't be too long."

He nodded, and she beamed. "Thanks. And don't mind Grimmjow. He's just being cranky."

As she took off with Pesshe, following Dondochakka, Pascal muttered, "When isn't he cranky?" He sighed, and then turned towards Grimmjow, who was fast approaching. Knowing the former Espada all too well, he immediately pointed in the direction Nel left. "She went that way."

Grimmjow ran past, but shouted over his shoulder before he was out of range, "Your ass is fried if something happens while we're gone!"

Pascal shook his head. "Ha, he's starting to care. Maybe Nel-san was right."

* * *

By the time Grimmjow caught up to Nel and her old Fraccion, they were already getting into a Garganta. He hopped in after them, just before the rip could close.

Nel was making her way through the inter-dimensional rift, her footsteps light and sure as she kept a steady pathway with her reiatsu. "Ah, you know," she said, talking to no one (or all of them), "it's kind of embarrassing we didn't think of this sooner."

"It is kind of weird," Pesshe admitted, his pace slowing to a jog. Nel had filled them in on her revelation along the way. "Shouldn't it have been obvious?"

"Well those idiots didn't think of it either," Grimmjow pointed out, strolling down the reiatsu path Nel was making.

Nel was tempted to pick on Grimmjow, since he sounded like he was trying to cheer her up, but she refrained. There was no need to ruin the moment. "I guess everyone was just so caught up with the big details, they didn't notice the little ones. I can't wait to hear what they have to say. If they've learned more, then maybe we'll figure it all out really soon."

"That'd be great," Dondochakka said, hopping cheerfully down the path. "And we'd get to say we'd helped, dontcha know?"

"I just want to help Ichigo," Nel said, unconcerned with taking credit. "It's been bothering him. I could tell even – oh! I see the exit." She hurried forward, the others running to catch up. "We should be exiting at the warehouse," she added as she made it to the end.

Neither Neliel, nor the men with her, had any idea what they were about to walk in on.

* * *

The rip opened, and Nel was naturally the first to jump out. She landed with a smile, eager to find the Vizards. She heard Grimmjow and her Fraccion land behind her, but she paid no mind as she walked further into the training grounds. "It's quiet," she murmured.

She looked to her left, and realized they had landed behind the stairwell. She hurriedly stepped around the stairs, poking her head out to see. Voices drifted towards her, and she assumed they were the Vizards'. "They're here."

Nel ran towards the source of the voices, announcing her presence, "Hello. Sorry to-"

When they came into sight, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.

Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai were with the Vizards, but they weren't the only ones on the grounds. Several people with captain haori over their shoulders had their swords drawn and had surrounded the group. One man was wearing a white uniform Nel didn't recognize, though he too wore a captain haori on his shoulder.

Grimmjow came up from behind her, and he froze, too. His eyes widened in recognition at the man with the captain's haori. "They're the ones I saw," he said, flashing back to when he was spying on Ichimaru and Tousen. From the back, he recognized the cloaks he had seen in Las Noches were in fact the haori the intruders wore.

The intruders turned, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Arrancar. The uniformed one narrowed his eyes. "Who are-"

It was all Urahara and the Vizards needed to strike.

In seconds, swords were clanging and a fight broke out as they pressed the opportunity. It took Nel a moment to register what was going on before she drew her sword and ran into the fray.

She charged forward and kicked one of the intruders, knocking them to the ground. She rolled away and got to her feet, sword at her side.

Dondochakka and Pesshe had stood rooted in their spots when they saw what was happening. However, when the fighter Nel had attacked drew his sword on her, they went into action and joined her battle.

Pesshe spit out some of his Infinite Slick, causing the intruder to drop his sword. The moment his weapon dropped, Nel immediately used Sonido and cut the attacker's side, sending him to his knees.

Meanwhile, Dondochakka summoned Bawabawa and spit him out. The Hollow insect charged into the fray, knocking some of the intruders off their feet. Of course, it also knocked a few of their _allies _on their rear-ends, too.

"What the hell was that?" Hiyori snapped as she untangled her limbs.

"Really good timing," Shinji said before he whipped out Sakanade and clashed his blade against one of the Royal Guard's.

Grimmjow cursed as he drew his sword and ran into the mass of fighting, knocking a Royal Guard member away from an unsuspecting Pesshe.

As everyone else scrambled to their feet, the distinct sound of metal clanging against metal filled the room as the fights continued and intensified. The Royal Guard had power and skill on their side. The only thing Shinji and the others had to their advantage were numbers.

"Grimmjow!" Nel shouted to him as she struggled to hold off her opponent. "Shoot me a Cero!"

"What the hell for?" he yelled over his shoulder, Pantera grinding against the Guardsmen's blade.

She spun on her heel and aimed a kick at her adversary's side, knocking him to the ground. "Please just do it!"

Grimmjow shoved his opponent back before charging up a Cero and shooting it over towards Nel.

Nel lifted up her hand, holding the Cero in place. She opened her mouth and inhaled the Cero, tilting her head back.

Her opponent got to his feet and drew his sword back. "Flash-" he began, ready to bring out his shikai.

She finished inhaling, and then she fired her Cero Doble, combining her Cero with the one she swallowed. It shot out, temporarily brightening the room before it slammed into her enemy, leaving a large explosion in its wake.

To her dismay, her opponent walked away from the explosion. He was scratched and bruised, but otherwise he seemed unscathed. "Nice trick, Arrancar."

Sensing Nel's struggle, Dondochakka left Grimmjow to handle his opponent while he ran to Nel, pulling out his kanbo. Together, the two Arrancar exchanged blows with their opponent, though he continued to match them, two to one.

The others were having as much difficulty as Neliel. It was obvious how hard everyone was fighting just to hold the Royal Guard back. Realizing it was a losing battle, Urahara leapt back from his opponent and said to Tessai, "We need to get out of here."

He nodded. "I can transport us someplace safe. I need to gather everyone in one spot, though."

Yoruichi overheard them and immediately moved towards the rest of the fighting, beckoning to her allies and hollering, "Everyone, gather around!"

Nel looked over at Grimmjow, and they both nodded. While none of them knew what Yoruichi was up to, they had no choice but to trust her. They dodged around their opponents, heading towards the quickly forming group in the center of the room. Dondochakka and Pesshe took off after them, the latter coating the spot behind them in Infinite Slick, causing the Guard members chasing them to slip and fall.

Hachi glanced over at Tessai, his brow furrowing as he saw what he was doing. He immediately motioned with his hands, and put up his barrier around all of them once everyone was together in a circle. "This should hold them off."

"Not for long," Shinji murmured as the Guardsmen and women fired kidou at the barrier. Already it began to crack under the pressure. "Hurry, Tessai."

Just as the barrier began to crumble, Tessai finished the first incantation and used the kidou technique Jikanteishi. The space around them froze, stopping time. Immediately he began chanting the incantation for the next spell, Kukanteni.

"Forbidden kidou," Riza said. "Our new buddies in the Seireitei aren't going to be thrilled."

"Considering the situation," Urahara said, "they're going to understand. We're in a serious emergency."

Tessai finished the last spell, and said, "Kukantei!" The space around him and his allies lit up, dwarfing them in light.

By the time the first spell wore off and the Royal Guard were able to move again, their targets were long gone.

* * *

Tessai's kidou placed them in Urahara's basement. The moment they landed, Urahara heaved a huge sigh. "That was close." He turned to the Arrancar, nodding to them. "You four have impeccable timing. If you hadn't arrived, I'm not sure we would have gotten out of there."

"Who were those people?" Kensei asked, sheathing his zanpakutou – for now.

Shinji narrowed his eyes at Urahara. "You came with bad news, and then those whack jobs show up just after you did. This ain't a coincidence."

Urahara took off his hat, dusting it off. "No, it's not. Those were Royal Guard. They came to capture us, I imagine, if not worse."

"What?" Hiyori screeched, her eyes as wide as everyone else's. "What the hell were they doing here? Aren't they supposed to be protecting that Reiou guy?"

"Yes, that's their duty." Urahara put his hat back on, his eyes covered in the shadows once again. "But they seem to have developed another agenda. I came to you this morning because Kurosaki-san has gone missing."

"And those Royal Guard took him," Nel said, quickly putting two and two together.

"Most likely." Urahara's head was bowed, his stance tense. "We're all in serious danger. Most likely, they have another group heading for the others."

"Why the hell didn't you say so sooner?" Shinji snapped, turning for the exit. "We gotta get them!"

Urahara grabbed his elbow, stopping him from moving. "Hirako-san, I understand your feelings, but we weren't even able to free ourselves without a distraction and forbidden kidou. How exactly do you plan on helping the others?"

Before Shinji could fire off a retaliatory remark, Neliel ran past them, heading for the exit.

"Nel!" Grimmjow yelled.

She stopped, and she turned towards the group. Her voice was low but firm as she said, "I don't care for your logic, Urahara-san. I will not stand by and let others I hold dear be put in harm's way. I have to go and help them, even if my chances are minimal." Not allowing him the chance to rebut, she next turned to Grimmjow and said, "Get everyone else to Hueco Mundo. If it's not safe here, then they can go there for the time being. I'm going to help the others and bring them to Hueco Mundo, if I can." She then gave her old Fraccion a smile. "Dondochakka, Pesshe… you two help Grimmjow, okay?"

"But, Nel-sama," they both protested.

She shook her head. "Please. I'll be fine."

Shinji wrenched his arm free from Urahara's grip. "I'm going to help her. We got advantage in numbers, so let's press it."

The other Vizards moved towards Neliel, indicating they were going as well. "We'll be in Hueco Mundo soon," Rose said, nodding to Urahara. "You go and get things set up there."

Not bothering to wait for Urahara's approval or commentary, Shinji said beckoned to his friends before they headed towards the hatch.

* * *

Hitsugaya stared uneasily at Ryou and his followers as they slowly approached. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Ryou stopped, considering Hitsugaya's question. "I am Surayuki Ryou. I am a captain and an assistant to Commander Kurou of the Royal Guard."

"What?" Rangiku breathed as Momo gasped.

"The Zero Squad?" Renji said in disbelief.

Although she seemed just as shocked as the other shinigami, Rukia didn't voice her emotions. Instead, she said, "Why are you here?"

"Reiou's orders," Ryou said, gesturing vaguely to the shinigami. "All of you are to return to Soul Society. The captains are to assemble and turn over their weapons, and the vice-captains-"

Hitsugaya reached for his pill dispenser. "That's ridiculous!" he snapped, his reiatsu flaring along with his temper. "The Reiou has no jurisdiction over the main dimension of Soul Society. He hasn't in over two millennia."

Ryou's sword was out and pointed at Hitsugaya's neck before the young captain even realized what happened. "He does now." He gestured to the other Guardsmen and women with him. "Take the shinigami into custody." He then pointed to one in particular. "Open a senkaimon to Soul Society. We'll be leaving as soon as the shinigami are in custody."

Many of the shinigami reached for their pill dispensers. The next thing anyone knew, several kidou spells had been cast, and the shinigami were bound and restrained.

"Rukia-chan!" Orihime tried to run over to her, but one of the Guard stepped in between, blocking not only her but the other humans from helping their friends.

"Don't move!" Hitsugaya shouted at the humans. "We'll handle this."

Ryou stepped up to him and grabbed the back of his shihakushou. Hitsugaya spluttered in indignation as he was lifted up. "_What _are you-"

"Put him down!" Momo yelled, trying to wriggle out of her kidou restraints. Another Guard grabbed her and yanked her back, making her head snap back. "Ah!"

"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya wrenched and tugged, trying to break free from Ryou's grip.

"That's enough!" Ryou snapped, pulling Hitsugaya forward towards the opening senkaimon gate. "Another protest and throats are getting slit!"

Orihime covered her mouth to stifle her gasp as the shinigami were pulled and pushed towards the gate. "No…"

Ryou turned towards the humans as he ushered the captain he had in his grip into the gate. "Arrest the humans," he said, his gaze still fixated on them. "Keep them contained until I return."

Rukia jerked in her restraints, trying to spin around when she heard the orders. "No! Leave them out of this!"

"They were involved in the training of Kurosaki Ichigo's Hollow form." Ryou pointed towards Orihime. "Keep an extra eye on her." He smiled, his countenance darkening. "She's Kurosaki's girl. He'll be feeling a bit more cooperative if he knows we have her in our care."

"Don't you dare!" Rukia screamed as she was pushed into the senkaimon, following the rest of the shinigami. Renji was just ahead of her, trying to get free as well. "Leave her alone! Orihime!"

Orihime bit her lip, refusing to scream or say anything, lest she trigger the Guard members' wrath. Rukia disappeared into the senkaimon, and Orihime let a pained groan escape. "Rukia-chan…"

Ryou motioned to the remaining five Guard members. "Arrest them. I'll be back soon to deal with them." He then disappeared into the gate, letting it shut behind him.

Tatsuki stepped in front of Orihime, pushing her back with her arm. "You aren't getting near her!" she said to the rest of the Guard.

"What an obnoxious human," a Guardswoman said. "Do we necessarily need her?"

"Captain Ryou said the more the better," another one said. "Though the only one we really need is her," she said, nodding to Orihime. "I think he'll overlook one dead human."

Tatsuki clenched her teeth, refusing to budge. "Make one move towards me and I'll flatten you. I don't care if you're some king's guard." She stared down the Royal Guard members, her fists clenched and ready to strike. "No one lays a finger on my best friend."

"We'll see if you're still talking tough once you have a sword in your gut," the first Guardswoman said before drawing her zanpakutou and charging at the humans.

Ishida and Sado summoned their weapons while Keigo screamed and Mizuiro tried to grab Tatsuki and pull her back. As the Guard member got close, Orihime threw up her shield, rejecting the attack just inches from Tatsuki's face.

As the Guard member stumbled, the others drew their weapons. One of them glowered at the humans. "Tch! You little-"

They were so busy being irritated with the humans that they didn't see the eight Vizards and the Arrancar come at them from their right.

Swords were swung and blood was spilt as Nel and the Vizards leapt into the fray. Two Royal Guard members were struck down before the rest even had a chance to retaliate properly. Although they were on par or stronger than their opponents, there were only three of them against nine.

Nel relentlessly swung at the one who tried to attack Tatsuki, pushing her back from the humans. She drove her towards Hiyori and Shinji, who then overpowered her easily with their masks on. It was a ruthless assault on her, and with no help, the Guardswoman fell within minutes.

The others had similar luck, pressing their advantage in numbers and essentially ganging up on the Guard members. It wasn't the most honorable way of fighting, but this wasn't a battle for honor. It was purely for survival and escape.

Once all the Royal Guard fell, Nel turned to the humans and sighed in relief when she found none of them were harmed.

Ishida nodded to them, putting away his weapon. "I see you're all fine."

"Barely," Shinji said, breaking off his mask. "We woulda been screwed if our friendly neighborhood Arrancar hadn't shown up when they did." He glanced over at Nel. "Why exactly did you come, anyway?"

She shook her head. "It's of little consequence right now."

"We need to get the hell out of here," Hiyori said, glancing at the unconscious Royal Guard. "All it'll take is for one of these guys to wake up and raise the alarm."

Shinji nodded, but his attention was diverted towards Orihime. She was unusually quiet, her shoulders hunched. "Orihime-chan… are you okay?"

Tatsuki stepped back and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know. They've got Ichigo."

Orihime remained mute, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her, even when Tatsuki gave her shoulder a shake. When the silence stretched out, Tatsuki lifted her eyes and looked at Shinji. Her expression told him everything: no, everything is far from okay.

But there was no time to deal with it at the moment. "Let's get to Hueco Mundo," he said, turning away. "That's our best refuge for now. I don't think Soul Society-"

"Soul Society is out of the question," Ishida said, crossing his arms. "From what I understood, the Zero Squad is intent on taking over Soul Society, including the Gotei 13."

Riza's head snapped up in surprise, but she wasn't the only one who looked shocked. "Seriously?" she said.

"I'm afraid so. They dragged the shinigami away just before you showed up."

"So, they've got Ichigo, likely in the Royal Realm, and they've got the Gotei 13 under their thumb, or they will shortly." Shinji rubbed a hand over his face. "It's not even 7 in the morning, but already this is turning out to be a shitty day."

Nel walked over to an open space and began to open a Garganta. "Talk later. We need to leave before more show up."

Keigo glanced uneasily at the portal she was opening. "Uh… are we coming along?"

Sado nodded. "They mentioned something about us being 'involved' with Ichigo's Hollow training," he said, his brow creasing. "You guys were there, too."

"We're all going. Urahara and the Shouten gang are already there." Shinji began walking towards the Garganta, followed by the other Vizards. He jerked his head at the gate, motioning for the humans to follow. "We'll carry you three," he said, referring to Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro, "since you can't control your reiatsu."

He stopped when he was next to Orihime, who was still staring at the ground, mute and unresponsive. Shinji tried to think of something – _anything _ - to say, but nothing he could think of was comforting or even remotely helpful. Ichigo was gone, and the chances of her seeing him again were slim. What _could _he say to that?

It had been a long time since he had felt so helpless, and he hated it. Biting back on his anger for now, he just let himself feel said for the girl in front of him. He sighed heavily and said to her, "Let's go, Orihime-chan."

* * *

**A/N: **In case anyone was wondering, the spells Tessai used earlier are from the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc (or the flashback arc when the Vizards... well, turned into Vizards). He used them to get Urahara and the Vizards back to the 12th division after Aizen left.

See you next time, kiddies.


	28. Chapter 28

'Allo amigos and amgias. (Again, it's really nice not to have to apologize off the bat. Let's hope this keeps up). I has a shiny update for you all!

As usual, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the story, and special thanks to my beta-readers for looking over this and editing it.

Moderate angst and violence warning in this chapter. Renji and Ichigo get a bit beat up and naturally a lot of people are angsting over what's happened. Luckily this is the last chapter with a considerable amount of angst, but there is much more violence to come. Yay!

Anyway, with that all taken care of, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 28**

_The search for answers and resolve_

It was a grim morning in the Seireitei.

The shinigami were awakened by the PA system. The shinigami who announced the orders over the PA sounded almost shell-shocked as he broke the news: Soul Society was under a military takeover.

Ise Nanao immediately shot up from her desk chair when she heard the announcement. "What?" she said in astonishment.

She knew her captain had gone to some emergency captains' meeting. She hadn't paid much mind to it until now. With these Zero Squad people in Soul Society, it couldn't be a coincidence.

"I know he can handle himself," she said as she grabbed her zanpakutou and ran for the exit. "But he still might be in danger. I have to-"

Suddenly a person dressed in shinigami robes with a captain haori over his shoulder appeared in the doorway, surrounded by a small throng of soldiers in uniforms Nanao had never seen. "Ise Nanao?" the leader said.

"I am she," she said, straightening her posture. "Who are you?"

"I am one of the Royal Guard. You are to assemble your squad for a meeting."

"I don't have that authority," Nanao said. "And you certainly aren't one to give me orders-"

"I am now," he said, his hand reaching for his sword.

Nanao instinctively reached for hers until she saw the soldiers surrounding him draw theirs. She lowered her hand, though not her guard. _Live __today, __fight __tomorrow._

The Guard member nodded, satisfied with her response. "You'd do well not to draw your weapon. Until further notice, all vice-captains are in charge of the squads. You wouldn't want to set a bad example."

The news immediately sent a surge of panic through Nanao. "What did you do to Kyouraku-taichou?" she demanded.

"He and the other captains will be meeting with Captain Ryou and afterward will be detained." The Guardsman's steely eyes held Nanao's gaze. "You should inform your squad not to try anything. Your captain will suffer the consequences if you do."

That scene was being played out in all the squads, leaving the vice-captains or whoever was in charge with no choice but to comply. Without their captains' guidance, they were left to fend for themselves and their squads. All the divisions were practically shut down as the shinigami kept to their rooms. Most were talking to their comrades, trying to understand the situation. Others kept quiet. The vice-captains hoped for the best and prayed for their captain's safety.

As for the captains, they waited for the meeting to start, unaware of the situation they were about to be thrust into.

* * *

The remaining captains in Soul Society were assembled in the first division meeting hall, guarded by a group of Royal Guard. The hall was filled with silence, at least until shouting outside was suddenly heard.

The doors banged open and in flew Hitsugaya. He hit the floor and stumbled over the even wooden floorboards. "Damn you!" he shouted as he went.

"Hitsugaya!" Komamura went to help him, but a Guardswoman drew her sword and pointed it at his neck.

As he struggled to his feet, Hitsugaya's icy eyes lifted towards the doorway, where Ryou was walking in with his posse and the other shinigami prisoners. "I don't care who or what you are. You don't toss a captain like a sack of rice!"

"Captain? I would hardly think so," Ryou said as he entered the room. "Not for long, anyway. It's what you get for putting up such a fight."

"Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said worriedly as she was pushed in forcefully by a Guard member. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not even scratched," he said, dusting off his robes. "Don't worry."

Ryou snorted at their exchange. "How cute. If we're done playing friends, let's get down to business." He gestured to the captains. "I will apologize for the early hour, but the Reiou's orders are absolute. Soul Society is going to be under our control now."

"On what grounds?" Unohana calmly asked, her gaze darting towards Ryou. "We have successfully run the main dimension of Soul Society for millennia. I can't see why he would suddenly be interested in taking over again."

"You would dare question him?" Ryou snapped, his nostrils flaring.

"I dare question you," Unohana retorted. "I merely ask for proof of this."

For a moment, there was nothing but a tense silence. Hitsugaya feared Ryou would lash out at Unohana, though he wondered if maybe that wouldn't be a good thing. Unohana wasn't one to be trifled with, not even by the Royal Guard.

To his relief, and perhaps slight disappointment as well, Ryou merely nodded. "I don't have the papers," he said, "that list the orders, but our Commander does. He will be here tomorrow."

"And what are we to do until then?" Hitsugaya asked, his eyes still narrowed at Ryou.

"You'll be detained," he said, crossing his arms. "But, in all fairness, we'll wait to strip you of your ranks until the Commander is here. Your vice-captains will be in charge under our supervision."

Kenpachi made a sound of disgust. "What makes you think you can goddamn barge in here and take over the place? You ain't done shit in years and now you want to play boss?"

"Not to mention," Kyouraku added, "I think we deserved some warning as to this. The Central 46 is still in the process of being reassembled and our general commander is comatose. Couldn't this have waited?"

Ryou began to laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you usually this obstinate or did I come on a bad day? What part of 'Reiou's orders' do you not understand?"

"It's not a matter of understanding," Renji said from the back. "We don't believe you. This entire scheme is bullshit."

Slowly, Ryou turned around and faced Renji with a rather incensed expression. "Excuse me?" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"You heard him," Rukia said, clenching her fists in her restraints. "This might have been slightly believable if it weren't for the fact that you kidnapped a substitute shinigami."

When the other captains started in surprise, Rukia nodded, her smile empty. "I guess you forgot to mention that," she said to Ryou.

"Why did you kidnap Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hitsugaya tilted his head forward, his eyes still glued to Ryou.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it _kidnapping._We gave him two choices," Ryou said, smiling in amusement, "but he didn't like the other one. Then again, it did involve killing people, his girlfriend included. He didn't take to it well."

"Taichou!" Rangiku warned when she felt her captain's reiatsu spike. "Please."

"Why did you take him at all?" Hitsugaya demanded, his body shaking from the effort to reign in his temper.

The Royal Guard captain glanced up at the ceiling, as if feigning innocence. But the dark smile that stretched across his face indicated otherwise, and Rukia felt her blood run cold. "It's simple. You had a very powerful weapon all to yourselves. Now that we're taking over, we take the weapon, too."

"He isn't a weapon!" Rukia snapped. "He's a human and still a child!"

"He has incredible powers, and that Hollow form of his…"

Ryou chuckled when those who came from Karakura stared at him in shock. "We know all about it, yes. We did our homework."

But if they had done their 'homework,' Rukia thought, then why hadn't they taken Orihime with Ichigo? Rukia opened her mouth to say something about it, then immediately shut it. There was a small chance that they didn't know about her bond with him, and if that was the case-

"What is it?" Ryou demanded, having seen her about to say something.

"Nothing," she said, turning her eyes away.

His voice took on a warning tone as he stepped towards her. "Kuchiki Rukia, I'm warning you, I'm not to be trifled with."

When she refused to say anything, he made a subtle move towards his sword. Rukia saw it, and so must have Renji, for the vice-captain broke free from his restraints and planted himself in front of Rukia. "Don't even try it," he said, assuming a defensive stance.

Ryou was not amused. Narrowing his eyes, he responded, "How cute. If you two are going to be insubordinate together, then you'll be punished together." He flippantly waved his hand at his men. "Take them to the white tower. I believe that is the penitentiary here."

One of his men grabbed Rukia by the shoulder and began to pull her away. Renji snapped his head around and, when he saw what was happening, charged at the Guard.

"Renji!" Rukia screamed as the rest of the men tackled Renji to the ground.

He bucked, trying to get them off of him. "She's not going back in there!" Once he realized he had too many men on him, Renji elbowed one in the ribcage in an attempt to _force_them off. He was about to give another the same treatment when the Guard securing Rukia released her, throwing her into the wall. In one shunpo he was next to Renji, his sword drawn.

When Rukia managed to stand, she heard the sickening sound of metal sliding through skin and bone. Renji bit back a yell as the sword punctured his hand.

"Stop it!" Rukia ran towards them, though what she could do in restraints, she didn't know. But she had to help Renji somehow.

"Enough." Ryou went to go handle the situation when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Drawing out his sword, he glanced over his shoulder at Byakuya. "I wouldn't try anything, Kuchiki-taichou" he said, having sensed Byakuya step towards him. "They may be your sister and vice-captain, but if you try anything you will be detained with them."

Rukia looked up to find her brother staring down Ryou. On the outside he might have seemed calm, but she knew Byakuya well enough to detect the anger. She didn't doubt her brother's strength, but a fight would only result in more trouble and her brother couldn't afford to be arrested. "It's all right, Nii-sama!" she said. "Renji and I will be fine. Your squad needs you!"

"See? Your sister has some sense. Listen to her. Now, once these two are taken to the white tower we'll-"

Ryou was cut off when a messenger bounded up the steps, drawing the attention of everyone. "Sir!" she said to Ryou, going on her knees and knuckles as she bowed her head to him. "I was sent by Captain Nori."

"Oh? Finally." Ryou nodded to her, his smile pleased. "I'm eager to hear his report." He gestured to the shinigami. "All of you should listen and understand your new situation. Your friends in the human world have also been detained."

The messenger tensed, and immediately Ryou's smile fell. "What?" he demanded.

"Forgive us, sir, but things didn't go well. We have a problem."

* * *

That "problem" was currently hiding out in Hueco Mundo, hours after they were chased out of the human world. The escapees were camping out not far from Nel and Grimmjow's Hollow settlement, not wanting to attract too much attention while not straying far from help.

"We can't stay here for very long," Urahara said to the others. They had all convened after they had settled in. "It's only a matter of time before the Guard come here and hunt us down. They've been to Hueco Mundo before, so they know how to use a Garganta. If we stay near the village, we're endangering its inhabitants."

Sitting in front of him in a semi-circle were the Vizards, Yoruichi, Tessai, Ishida and Sado. Heaving out a sigh, Shinji nodded at Urahara's assessment. "Figured as much. But what the hell can we do? I'm not gonna sit around and wait for 'em to capture us."

"What else _can_we do?" Ishida said, taking off his glasses to rub his tired eyes. "We're no match for them on our own, and Soul Society has been seized. We have no place to go."

"I don't like what I'm hearing here."

They all turned their heads towards the source of the voice. Arms crossed stubbornly, Tatsuki stood off to the right of the congregation. "It sounds like you're all giving up."

"We just don't know what to do," Sado said.

"These people," Urahara began, looking at Tatsuki and imploring for understanding, "are much stronger than us."

She wasn't buying it. "That Nel woman and these guys," She pointed at the Vizards, "managed to take five of them down on their own. They can't be _that _much tougher."

"They weren't the strongest in the bunch," Kensei pointed out, "and we had the element of surprise."

Tatsuki balled her hand into a fist. It shook as she fought to restrain her temper. "So, what, we give up? What about Ichigo? We can't just leave him in their hands."

"Normally I'd say to go after him, despite the odds," Ishida said, "but Arisawa, we can't get to where he is. The place where the Royal Guard lives is restricted from the outside. You need a key to access it."

"And where is this key?"

"Soul Society, most likely." Urahara sighed, tipping his hat back. "Do you see the problem here?"

Tatsuki was silent for a minute, her jaw slack as she struggled with this tidbit of information. It certainly did make things challenging, and maybe she wasn't one to talk since she couldn't fight like these guys, but… "Then get the damn key, because I am not going to tell my best friend she's never going to see her boyfriend again." But she had Orihime to consider, and that was her priority.

She jerked her head over her shoulder, towards Orihime who was sitting on a rock several meters away. "She hasn't said a word since we got here. She just plays with that bracelet or stares off into space."

Uryuu's eyes saddened as he looked at Orihime. "I know Inoue-san is in a lot of pain, but there's no way for us-"

"There is always a way!" Tatsuki snapped, her temper slipping from its leash. "And I dare you to say otherwise to her face." She inhaled deeply, trying to control her anger as a tear slipped out from her right eye. It surprised her, and the others. She stubbornly wiped it away and glared at the people in front of her, deterring them from saying anything about it. "One of my friends just got kidnapped. That alone is enough for me to go and get him back on my own, if I have to. But he's also my best friend's boyfriend."

The silence she was met with encouraged her to continue. Her glare softened into a look of pleading. "Please. Orihime's only loved two men in her life, and she's already lost one. Don't make her have to lose the other, too."

There was another pause, this one much tenser than the one before. The very air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for someone to respond.

Then, "Aw, damn it." Shinji got to his feet and grabbed Sakanade. "You know where to hit a guy, Arisawa," he said before striding past her.

"Oi, Shinji!" Hiyori hollered after him. "Where the hell are you going?"

"The human world. Gotta start somewhere, right?" He waved over his shoulder before shouting, "Yo, Nel! I need a favor!"

* * *

It was well into the evening when Shinji stepped into the human world. Understandably cautious, since there was no telling if there were Royal Guard still around, he glanced all around as he landed on the soft grass. He was in the middle of a park. Actually, it was the very park where the Guard had taken Ichigo, though Shinji wasn't aware of that.

"Is it safe?" Nel asked from the Garganta, sensing for reiatsu as well.

"I think so. I doubt they'll be searching here anytime soon." Still, it didn't hurt to be wary. He never stopped keeping his eyes peeled as Nel landed on the ground a yard behind him.

She stepped next to him, her hand resting idly on Gamuza. Pacifist or not, Nel was not taking any chances either. "Where did you want to begin?"

Shinji shook his head, unsure of his course of action. "I'm not sure. Only thing I can think of is that letter the kids mentioned. Said Kuchiki had found it in Ichigo's room."

"Then that's where we should begin," Nel agreed. "Do you think it'll provide much insight?"

Shinji shrugged as he began walking towards Ichigo's home. "Dunno, but it beats just standing around."

Just as Nel fell into step next to him, another Garganta opened behind them. Nel paused and turned, watching as the rip tore open, revealing Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai. In the back, she could see the corner of Pesshe's mask.

"Wait up," Yoruichi said as she jumped out, landing lightly on her feet and immediately walking towards the pair.

Shinji glanced over his shoulder as the men followed suit. Pesshe gave them a thumbs-up before he closed the portal. He nodded to the Arrancar before returning his attention to the former shinigami. "What's up?"

Urahara chuckled, pulling out his fan. "Arisawa-san certainly knows how to lay on the guilt."

"She's a fighter." Shinji snorted lightly. "Sometimes she just fights dirty."

"We need to get back to the shop and see if Jinta and Ururu returned home," Tessai said, glancing uneasily in the direction of the Shouten.

"I was wondering where those two were," Shinji said, glancing back and forth between Urahara and Tessai. It wasn't like them to just leave the kids to fend for themselves. "Where were they?"

Yoruichi shook her head, not at all pleased with the situation. "The one time we let them leave town alone. They both insisted on going into a specialty shop in the next town over alone. Normally we wouldn't, but _someone_," She sent an obvious look at Urahara, "thought it was time they 'ventured out alone and learned to be independent.'"

Urahara slanted her a narrowed-eye stare from behind his fan. "Well, excuse me for wanting them to assert their independence."

"If you two are done bickering, I'm heading for Ichigo's house." Shinji rolled his eyes at the two; he didn't know how two best friends could act so much like a married couple. "You better search for them."

Suddenly, Nel put her arm on Shinji's shoulder and said, "There are people running this way. I can hear them."

All five adults immediately fanned out, braced for a possible confrontation. A long minute passed, and Shinji was beginning to wonder if Nel wasn't just hearing things when someone burst around the corner.

To everyone's surprise, two more people followed behind. The leader was a pre-teen with short black hair donned in athletic looking wear. She was clutching a paper in her hands as she ran towards him. "Hey, wait!"

The two behind her came to a halt, their eyes wide in surprise. "There you guys are!" one of them said. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

Tessai started when he recognized the bright red hair spiked in the middle. "Jinta! Ururu!"

"I told you they weren't dead," Ururu whispered as the two kids hurried up to them.

All three pre-teens reached the group of adults, panting from the exertion. Jinta jabbed a finger at Karin and said, "She's Kurosaki's sister. She's been looking for him."

"Karin-chan went by our shop while she was looking. We went to search with her when we couldn't find you guys," Ururu added, clutching her hands tightly.

Karin had bent over to catch her breath, her hands braced on her knees. When she was able to talk, she looked up at them and said, "These two said you know Ichi-nii. Where is he?"

_Aw, __hell, _Shinji thought, resisting the urge to slap his forehead. He wasn't prepared for this at all. "Uh…"

Sensing Shinji's hesitation, Nel stepped forward and bent down to Karin's height. "Karin, I'm Nel. I'm a friend of Ichigo's." Her eyes fell on the paper Karin was clutching. "Is that by any chance the letter he left behind?"

"Yeah." Karin handed it to Nel. "It doesn't say much. Just that he had to leave and that he was sorry. But…"

As Nel opened it and began to read it, Shinji raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"I kind of got the feeling that he wanted to leave, but at the same time, I don't see why he'd leave Orihime." She ran a hand through her hair, messing it up more as she stared hard at the ground. "He took those pictures she gave him, and in the letter…"

Nel sighed sadly, having just gotten to the part Karin was referring to. "It says, 'Please take care of Orihime. If things had gone better, I think she would have been a big part of our lives. She lives alone in her apartment. I would be grateful if you could keep an eye on her and invite her to dinner sometimes. Please tell her I'm sorry and…'" Nel swallowed, her eyes saddening as she finished, "'I love her. She knows that, but please tell her for me anyway.'"

Shinji was silent as Karin's fist tightened at her side. "If he loves her," she said through teeth clenched in anger, "he wouldn't have left like he did."

"Your brother didn't want to leave," Urahara told Karin, lowering his fan and tucking it away. "He was coerced into leaving."

She spun around, her eyes wide in shock at Urahara's words. "You mean like they threatened him?"

"Probably not Ichigo himself," Shinji said. "They likely threatened Orihime-chan and everyone he loves. It's the best way to get him to do anything. Ichigo would have gone willingly to protect us."

As much as it hurt Karin to hear, because she wouldn't put it past her brother to do that for his family and friends, it was better than thinking he left because he wanted to. However, knowing her brother's intentions did nothing to amend the situation. "He's always protecting everyone," she said, her eyes falling on the letter in Nel's hands. "Who's going to protect him?"

For the second time that day, Shinji was sucker-punched by guilt, though he knew this time it was unintentional. He gestured for the letter from Nel. She handed it to him and he looked it over, his heart squeezing as he read the part concerning Orihime. _I__'__m __such __a __glutton __for __punishment, _he thought as his eyes rested on it. He flashbacked to Hueco Mundo and the pained expression Orihime had worn since they fled.

It was then, as he held the letter in his hand and as Karin's eyes bore into his that he knew what he had to do. "Well, your brother's a dumbass, but you're right. His dumb ass needs to be protected now and then, too. We're gonna get him back."

Even as Urahara stared at him in disbelief, Shinji grinned, despite the odds he had just stacked against them. "We gotta work out a few details, but we're gonna get him back. I promise."

"Really?" Karin said, obviously relieved. "Do you know where he is? Who even took him?"

"Bad people," Shinji answered. "Very bad, rotten people. We had the displeasure of meeting them. Don't worry, though. We'll beat them at their own game."

Although he was obviously wary of Shinji's motives, Urahara moved towards Karin. "You should get home. I'm sure your family is getting worried, especially after your brother's disappearance."

Shinji turned towards the north. "Hey, Nel. Wanna take a trip with me to the warehouse? There's something I gotta pick up, now that we're gonna mount a rescue mission."

"Sure." Nel gave Karin a parting smile before following Shinji as he headed towards the warehouse, leaving the Shouten gang with Karin.

Urahara watched them leave, his eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of his hat. "I'm getting a strange feeling about this."

"How does Shinji plan on getting into the Realm?" Yoruichi asked, her arms crossed. Like Urahara, she was just as confused as to what Shinji was planning. "You know, normally _you__'__re _the one who pulls this crap?"

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Nice try." Yoruichi's amber eyes fell on Karin, who was giving them both a perplexed look. "Your big brother's tough. I'm sure he'll be fine by the time we get there."

Sensing a barrage of questions, Urahara gestured to Karin to start walking. "Let's get you home. I'm sure-"

Tessai turned, and just as he was about to mention someone was coming, Yuzu rounded the corner from the same direction Karin had come in from with Jinta and Ururu.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu called out, sprinting towards her sister. Just a few yards behind her emerged Isshin, his expression serious as Yuzu ran right towards her sister.

"Yuzu, Goatchin," Karin said in surprise. She grunted when Yuzu plowed right into her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Don't do that again!" Yuzu sniffed as she held Karin closer. "I was so afraid you had gone after Onii-chan. It's bad enough when he runs off like this!"

Realizing her sister still wasn't aware of what happened, Karin gently pushed her back. "Yuzu, Ichi-nii didn't run away. Someone took him."

Yuzu's head jerked back in shock, her eyes brimmed with worry. "What? But – no, Onii-chan's so good at fighting. There's no way someone took him."

"They said he was." Karin jerked her head towards Urahara and the Shouten gang.

Isshin had made his way over towards the gathering, one of his hands in his pocket while the other hung at his side. His eyes met Urahara's, and Karin could tell something was exchanged between the two, though what it was she didn't know. "Dad? Do you know this guy?"

"He's an old friend," Isshin answered as he looked down at his daughter. He ruffled Karin's hair with his free hand, but still his smile was absent. It was beginning to worry both his daughters. "Hey, Urahara. Can you get these two somewhere safe?"

Tessai stepped forward, his hands on Jinta and Ururu's shoulders. "I will take them and hide," he said, bowing his head to Isshin. "We'll leave town tonight. They may come back here to look for us."

Urahara nodded in agreement. "They won't be pleased that we escaped. It's only a matter of time before they start hunting, so we need to move quickly."

_Hunting? _Karin was aghast at Urahara's choice of words. "Who are these people?" she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. She looked to her father for the answer when Urahara kept silent. "Dad, who took Ichi-nii? You know, don't you?"

"I'll explain later. You need to get out of here." He lightly pushed her towards Tessai and beckoned to Yuzu as well. "I've known these people for awhile, so you can trust them. Just pack some clothes and follow Tessai. Whatever you do," he said, his voice low and hard, "do not stray from his sight. Understood?"

Yuzu's eyes began to water as she gripped Karin's hand. Tessai herded the two away from their father, Jinta and Ururu following. "Daddy…what's going on?" Yuzu sniffled again, her hand trembling, even under Karin's sure grip.

At a loss for words, Karin merely looked at her father as they were led away. He gave her a small smile, but otherwise said nothing as his girls disappeared down the street with Tessai.

Urahara slanted his gaze to Isshin when his girls were out of earshot. "Are you sure about this? I doubt they'll come after your daughters."

"I wouldn't anything past Kurou at this point. If he's willing to take my son from me, then there's no telling what else he will do."

"But you knew there was a chance they'd target Ichigo."

"Not like this." Isshin closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging beneath an invisible weight. "I underestimated Kurou's anger. I also thought he'd come to me for a fight, instead of going behind my back. He's obviously not the man I remember. I certainly didn't think he'd take over Soul Society."

Urahara agreed with a nod, his gaze pointed as he stared off into the distance. "That caught me off guard. Would the Reiou really allow this?"

"That's the only thing I can't understand. Where is he in all of this?" Isshin rubbed the back of his neck. The Reiou was a passive man, but that didn't mean he didn't keep the firecrackers like Kurou on a leash. To let Kurou kidnap a boy and occupy the Gotei 13 was completely unlike him. "There's something else going on."

"I think," Urahara began, suddenly smirking, "there's a lot we don't know. One thing in particular I found interesting. They likely took Ichigo to use him as a weapon, correct?"

"Yes," Yoruichi answered. "Ishida mentioned something about them wanting to make him more cooperative. That's why – oh."

His smile widened. "Yes. Why didn't they take Inoue-san to begin with? It seemed their plan was just to take her hostage so Ichigo cooperated. But if they knew the full extent of his Hollow powers – or at least to the extent we do – they should have taken her as well."

"An oversight?" Yoruichi suggested, glancing at Isshin. "But that's unlikely. These people seem meticulous."

"Kurou would have had the Intelligence unit on surveillance." Isshin tilted his head forward, a considering smile parting his lips. "No, it wasn't an oversight. More like withholding information. Kurou may not have as many friends as he thought."

Yoruichi grinned as well, knowing exactly what Isshin meant. "Well well, if there's dissension in the ranks, an invasion might be a lot easier."

"Shinji-san seems to have some way to get in," Urahara commented, glancing in the direction of the warehouses. "I think I finally know what it is he's been hiding since the battle with Aizen. If that's the case," He darted his eyes to Isshin, his expression expectant, "we'll likely be breaking into the Realm tomorrow."

Isshin's smile faded, though there was a set determination in his lips as he nodded to Urahara. "Right. I'll be ready."

* * *

_Will I see him again? _

That question had been plaguing Orihime for hours, and the torment hadn't let up when Shinji and the others returned from the human world.

She hadn't even noticed their arrival. She still hadn't spoken a word: not to Dondochakka or Pesshe, not to Nel, not to Ishida or Sado, not even to Tatsuki. Words had seemed to abandon her entirely.

Tears had threatened on numerous occasions, but Orihime had refused to let them fall. Everyone was staying strong, and so must she or so her reasoning went. She had to be strong, like Tatsuki and Nel and Shinji.

Like Ichigo.

Her eyes closed momentarily, her last memory with him flashing through the forefront of her mind as it had so many times now. The future – though uncertain – had been filled with hope, and at the very least, she had thought she would be with him still. He had given her that smile he rarely showed to anyone else.

God, did her heart ache at the memory.

"Orihime-chan."

Her eyes snapped open, surprised to hear her name. She lifted up her head and saw Shinji standing in front of her, holding a letter out to her.

Wordlessly, she took it from him and opened it. She immediately recognized Ichigo's handwriting, and she realized that it must have been the letter Rukia had mentioned.

Most of it was addressed to his family, apologizing for leaving so suddenly. He wrote a few lines about his friends, asking his family to apologize to them for him and to tell them how much he appreciated them.

But the last segment was dedicated to her.

_Please take care of Orihime. If things had gone better, I know she would have been a big part of our lives. She lives alone in her apartment, so I would be grateful if you could keep an eye on her and invite her to dinner sometimes. Please tell her I'm sorry and I love her. She knows that, but please tell her for me anyway. I don't think I told her enough._

That's when it hit her. Now she was the one who was left behind, instead of the one who was leaving. She had essentially done this to Ichigo when she left for Hueco Mundo, though her words had been spoken. Had he felt a similar anguish and hopelessness upon her disappearance? Did he feel as lost and heartbroken as she did now?

"Ichigo-kun." It was the first word she had spoken in hours. The tears threatened to pour again, but this time she let them. She didn't have the strength or will to fight them. "I'm so sorry."

"Orihime." Tatsuki scooted next to her and put her arm around her. "Hey, it'll be okay."

"He left just like I did. But I can't even find a way to save him."

Shinji, who had remained silent up until now, frowned and said, "About that…"

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in Orihime's chest. Her eyes widened and her hand immediately reached up towards her heart. "What the…" She glanced down at her chest, expecting to see a wound or something of some sort.

"What's wrong?" Tatsuki asked, tensing in fear.

She felt another throb of pain. This time, Orihime realized it wasn't coming from her. It was distant, like it wasn't her feeling but-

It dawned on her what this was. She had felt this during the battle with the Vasto Lorde. "This is-"

* * *

Ichigo screamed in agony as Kurou pressed his heel harder against his broken hand. It had been damaged just earlier, when Ichigo had refused to bring out his Hollow form. In a fit of rage, Kurou had broken his hand. Now he was making Ichigo suffer more for his indignation.

"It is _not_," Kurou said through gritted teeth, "that difficult. Bring out that Hollow form."

"I _can__'__t_, damn it!" After his hand had been broken, Ichigo had decided that maybe just bringing it out briefly would be okay. Maybe he could even use it to overpower these Guard members and escape. After he had learned of their takeover of Soul Society and their plans to kidnap his friends, Ichigo knew he had to break out somehow to protect them.

Like he had in training, he had pressed for that feeling of emptiness he felt during the transformation. He could begin to feel it take effect when his Hollow would intervene and stop the transformation. Kurou would punish his failure with a kick or another broken bone. So far, he had been kicked too many times to count, and one of his ribs and one of the bones in his foot were broken, along with his hand.

Ichigo sucked in huge gulps of air, trying to fight off the pain. "Get off my hand," he said, glaring at Kurou from his sprawled position on the floor.

He still didn't know where he was exactly. He was somewhere in the Royal Palace, and the floor he was lying on was made of marble. He could sense a bunch of other Guard members gathered around him and Kurou.

His response was a swift kick to the stomach. Ichigo flipped over and skidded across the floor. His head smacked against the hard marble when he landed on his side. He opened his eyes, and he noticed several long tables pushed up against the wall. Was this some kind of dining hall?

Just behind him, he heard the sound of steel sliding out of a sheath. He shut his eyes and braced himself for the pain that was bound to follow.

Suddenly, he felt another Guard member come up and step in between Kurou and him. Ichigo opened his eyes and dared to look over his shoulder.

"Enough, Commander," the Guardsman said. He took a step back, the end of his captain's haori brushing against Ichigo's shihakusho. "The boy has taken enough of a beating."

"Kichirou," Kurou said to his leading Intelligence officer, "don't interfere."

"Sir, I understand your reasoning. Based on my surveillance notes, he is more likely to go into his Hollow form when he is seriously injured and threatened. However, it usually involves others being threatened, too."

"Which we _could _do," Kurou aimed a lethal glare over at Nori, "if you had just done your damn job. We need that girl of his."

Nori bowed his head in apology. "My failure is inexcusable. I assure you, tomorrow we will focus solely on finding her and the others who escaped."

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise – and in relief. _Orihime __and __the __others __are __safe?_

"See, Commander?" Kichirou gestured to Ichigo. "We can't bring out his form until then, so there is no point in abusing him like this."

Kurou sheathed his sword, satisfied with Kichirou's reasoning. "Fine. Take him to his quarters and treat his injuries." His cold eyes laid on Ichigo. "Tomorrow we will continue this, Kurosaki. I suggest you rest well. I assure you, you'll be seeing your girlfriend tomorrow, and then we'll see how cooperative you're feeling." Without further word he turned on his heel and left.

"Leave her alone." Ichigo struggled to his feet, his broken foot repeatedly giving out on him. "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch Orihime!"

* * *

"What…" Orihime covered her mouth with her free hand, trembling as the flux of emotions from Ichigo faded. "What are they doing to him?"

Shinji immediately knelt in front of her, his eyes probing hers. "What's going on?"

"I can feel his emotions, like…"

"Like during the Vasto Lorde battle and training." Shinji glanced over at the other Vizards. "Did you hear that?"

Hiyori crossed her arms in disgust. "So that's what those shitheads are up to. Are they stupid?"

"They must have been spying on us," Rose concluded.

Love shook his head in wonder. "But why? Who would come after a teenager like this?"

"The bigger question is," Urahara began, stepping forward before a barrage of questions could be fired, "why didn't they take Inoue-san with them, if they were spying on us?"

"They wanted to take her earlier," Tatsuki reminded him.

"As a means of coercion," Urahara pointed out. "not as a tool to utilize Kurosaki-san's Hollow form."

Shinji smiled, his grin laced with an edge of hostility. "Did our buddies in the Royal Realm screw up?"

"Possibly," Urahara said, shrugging his shoulders. He had decided to withhold telling them about his conversation with Isshin for now.

Orihime gripped her hands tightly together, her head bowed. "It doesn't matter," she said, tears in her voice. "We can't reach him where he is. He's in so much pain and yet I can't even save him."

"Ah." Shinji's face split with a grin as he tapped her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. "Lemme ask ya something. Say we could go get him. Would you be ready to sneak through Soul Society which is currently infested with Royal Guard? Would you be okay with breaking illegally into the Royal Realm? Could you help with taking down any Guard who stood in our way?" He tilted his head in consideration. "Would you be ready to battle and embark on what's probably a suicide mission, if it meant saving Ichigo?"

Orihime nodded without hesitation. "I'd do anything for him. I want to protect him this time." Her eyes fell to the ground. "But-"

"Good. Just making sure you were still with us." Shinji gave her a wink before reaching into his jacket. "I got a surprise for ya." His grin widened, as if it was somehow possible, and he pulled out something. He held it out on his palm. "Know what this is?"

A golden key the width of Shinji's hand lay in his palm. Orihime gasped in surprise. "Is that the Ouken?"

"Yup." He twirled it around in his fingers, ignoring the sharp sounds of surprise and exclamations from some of the others. "Good thing I held onto this, huh?"

"I knew it," Urahara muttered. "Shinji-san, would you be so kind as to tell us where you got that?"

"Off of Yamamoto." Shinji held the key in between his index and middle fingers, examining it closely. "During the fight with Aizen, I had grabbed him before Aizen could kill him. As I was pulling him away, this fell from his robes. I snatched it and hid it in my pocket before Aizen could see it."

"So that's why you kept returning to Soul Society," Ishida said, crossing his arms. "You were trying to return the key."

"Yeah, but no one would let me near Old Yamo. So I held onto this, and decided I would give it back when he was awake." He chuckled at the irony – and the fortune – that he still had it now.

Urahara shouldered his cane, staring in curiosity at the key. "So the elusive hiding place of the Ouken was the General-Commander himself. It makes sense. You don't leave something like the Ouken lying around."

As far as Orihime was concerned, she didn't care where the key had been. What mattered was that it was here, and Ichigo was within reach. "So… we can go help Ichigo-kun?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. We gotta figure out a plan first, but we're gonna get our idiot back."

Without warning, Orihime shot forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shinji froze, shocked at Orihime's rare display of such open affection.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Smiling softly, his eyes lit in amusement and understanding, he patted her back. "Anything in the name of young love, right?"

* * *

**A/N: **Before anyone screams 'Ass-pull!' over the whole Ouken thing, no it's not. Refer back to Chapters 1, 2, 7 and 13. Remember that thing Shinji always had in his pocket and the repeated attempts to see Yamamoto? Ah, yes, it makes sense now, doesn't it?

I know the Ouken is a bit of a mystery, especially regarding its location. I dunno what Kubo has in mind, but personally, I wouldn't leave something that important lying around, even if it's in a vault or something. If the Commander-General is the only one who knows about it, I imagine he would keep it somewhere near or on him at all times. At the very least, that's what I'm going for in this fic. Shinji just hung onto it because it would have been awkward to go up to a captain and say, "Hey, I have this little key here. No reason to be suspicious about me having it, right?" especially with all the crazy shit that's been going on in the story. And like he said, it's a good thing he held onto it.

I'll get to replying to reviews once this is up. Thanks for reading, and 'til next time!


	29. Chapter 29

****I. Hate. Finals. Actually, I just generally hate this time of year with school. This chapter is a bit later than I hoped, and the next one will be, too, most likely. So please hang in there.

I'm overloaded with work, so I won't be able to reply to reviews, but thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. We're at over 500 now! I never thought I'd get that many. Extra thanks to **le etoile, CrystalDawn, **and my extra beta for this super important chapter, **ombre nocturne. **

I know up until this point there have been more questions raised than answers given. This chapter finally answers a few of them, including one or two extremely important ones. Since we are on the final stretch, that's going to be the trend. So hopefully no more complaints about that :)

Enough of that. Onwards with the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 29**

_Shirosaki surrenders_

Renji woke with a groan, and as his vision cleared, wide violet eyes and a relieved face filled the receding darkness. "You're awake."

He managed a stiff nod. "Yeah." As he looked around, he realized that he knew the place he was in. The tall stark walls with only the single window were hauntingly familiar. "Are we imprisoned?"

Rukia didn't have to answer; he could see it in her eyes and the way she stiffened with the mention. "Damn it. I didn't want you to have to come back here."

She shook her head, dismissing his concern. "It's fine. At least I have company." Her tone tried for teasing, but Renji could hear the strain.

As he tried to get up to talk to her more properly, he was surprised with her hand pressing against his chest and pushing him back down. "You're injured," she chided. "Don't push yourself."

"It was just my hand," he retorted grumpily, glancing down at his injured hand. When he lifted it to inspect it further, he found it wrapped in bandages.

"They wouldn't let me use kidou to heal you properly," Rukia said, her eyes hardening as she remembered. "Fortunately, some of the shinigami snuck in supplies from the fourth division and gave them to me. I did the best I could."

Renji supposed that, despite the dire situation, it was probably better for Rukia than the last time she had been in the white tower. At least her own comrades hadn't turned against her, even if it was "justified" at the time. Of course, _he_had been one of those comrades, something he still hadn't forgiven himself for. "I hate this place," he muttered. "But thanks for the patch job. Stupid bastards." He let his hand rest on the floor. "Who stabs someone like that, anyway?"

When Rukia didn't say anything, he glanced over at her. He knew how melancholy she could get when she was reminiscing about something painful. However, he wasn't met with melancholy or anything similar. His eyes met hers and he read anger.

His instincts told him this couldn't bode well for him, as history had proven so many times before.

"_Why_," she said in a low tone, "did you do that?"

He blinked, trying to comprehend what she was implying. "Uh…"

"At the meeting hall!" she snapped. "When you decided to tick off Ryou and fight a bunch of armed Royal Guard! Why the hell did you do that?"

Here Renji would have given her his usual answer: "I didn't want you to come back to this place" or "I wasn't going to let them just drag us here without a fight". Any one of those statements would have sufficed, and Rukia would have believed it. Except this time Renji just couldn't bring himself to lie to her. While both answers were true to an extent, they were not the true underlying reason as to why he risked life and limb for her.

"_You owe it to her to try at least."_

Renji scowled as Ichigo's words from Christmas Eve popped into his mind, whaling away at his sanity like a demon on steroids. _Damn __him__ and__ his __one__ moment __of __insight._

"Renji."

He knew she was waiting for an answer, so he'd give it to her. His timing was probably awful, but right now he didn't care. "Lemme ask you: if Inoue had been in your place and Ichigo was in mine, he would have done the same, right?"

"Well, yes." Rukia leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her thighs.

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? Besides his usual overprotective streak," This earned a chuckle from Renji, "it's because he loves her. He's done more than take a hit for her. But why would that…"

One of the things about her that amazed him was her cleverness. It didn't fail her now; he could see her put the pieces together. He tried not to show any outward signs of nervousness as he waited for her reaction.

She stared at him in blank shock, her brain shutting down as it overloaded from the information (or so he imagined). Her hands clenched together, then opened, and clenched again. Her cheeks flushed, and then she paled after a minute, something seemingly distressing her, before she seemingly brushed it off and blushed again. Renji surmised she wasn't sure how to react, and that just made him more nervous.

"Look," he said after long minutes of silence, "I know the timing's awful but it's the truth. It's why I put up a fight, even if it was a losing one. It's why I've done a lot of stuff."

His words seemed to spark something in her, for her eyes finally rested on him.

Then she reacted in a way that were nothing like the million and one scenarios he had imagined.

"YOU IDIOT!" she shouted, slamming her hand on the ground. "That doesn't mean you can just fling yourself in front of me like you did!"

"_What?_" Renji snapped as he shot up into a sitting position. "Ichigo pulls that crap all the time!"

"Ichigo's an idiot!" Rukia fired back. "I expect you to be smarter than him! I don't need _both_ of you being overprotective morons!"

"Well I'm gonna do it anyway!" He pushed his forehead against hers, his glare matching the one she wore. "So deal with it!"

And with that, the heated fervor died as quickly as it began. Rukia's eyes softened, and she sighed, her shoulders dropping. Renji almost blinked in shock, not expecting that from her either.

"We lost Ichigo because he probably let himself be captured to protect us. That's bad enough. I can't lose you, too. I need you here." She let her forehead remain pressed against his as her eyes closed. "Please. Think of what Orihime must be going through. Don't do that to me."

At a loss as to what to say, Renji put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "It's not like I can go anywhere right now anyway. We're stuck together."

"I much prefer that than you going off to protect me and getting killed or captured. I need you here, like Orihime needs Ichigo with her. Don't forget that, Renji."

He smiled slightly, because he knew there was an answer to his confession in those words. But he couldn't rejoice, not now. Both of them were plagued with thoughts of their mutual friend being held in the Royal Realm and of their other friends who were in hiding. "We can't give up hope. Something might be done. Inoue and the others are free, and Urahara's with them. Hell, I'm sure they're cooking up a plan right now."

* * *

In fact there _was_ a plan being concocted beneath them, in the sewers that snaked through the underbelly of the Seireitei.

That night, the vice-captains had crept out from their divisions and met in the sewers. A hidden message urging the meeting had been hidden in a series of "reports" that had been sent out earlier that day. They had been given twelve hours between the time the message was sent and when the meeting was to be held to find a way to sneak past the scrutiny of the Guard, get underground and meet up.

As Hinamori noted, it was a minor miracle they all (save Renji) had made it.

Once Hisagi and Izuru hopped down the manhole and walked over to where the vice-captains had converged, Hinamori nodded in greeting. "We're all here."

"So, it's true about Abarai then?" Isane said, noticing the sixth division vice-captain's absence. "He's in custody?"

"With Kuchiki Rukia, yes," Rangiku answered, sighing as she leaned back against a wall. "They're locked up in the white tower."

After a beat of silence, Oomaeda piped up, "Why are we all here? Who called for this?"

"I did," Momo said, straightening her posture as she stood. "We need to do something about this situation with the Royal Guard."

"And what would you suggest?" said Sasakibe, the first squad's vice-captain. "We're overpowered."

"But we're not outnumbered." Momo turned her gaze to Yachiru. "Did you manage to get a count of the Royal Guard today?"

Yachiru beamed and answered, "Yup! There were fourteen of those guys with the haori. There were a bunch of other ones, but they were those weird dressed guys with the funny crests." Yachiru was referring to the basic foot soldiers that accompanied the Royal Guard, lowly but numerous mooks who did most of the grunt work for the Guard. Several of them had been brought over when the Seireitei was captured.

"Who are those guys anyway?" Iba, Komamura's vice-captain, said, referring to the foot soldiers.

"I think they're the Royal Realm equivalent of the unseated shinigami. They didn't seem to be particularly strong," Izuru said.

"So we can handle them," Rangiku concluded. "It's the Royal Guard themselves I'm worried about."

Suddenly, from her spot in the shadows Nemu quietly said, "I recommend the traps."

Momo's eyes widened. "You mean the booby traps your squad set up?"

Nemu nodded. "We haven't tested them yet, but this may be a good opportunity. There are traps in each division. Going by Yachiru's numbers, there is one Royal Guard per division, plus Ryou. All we must do then is lure the Guard into one of the traps."

"That just might work," Rangiku murmured. "Do you know where those traps are located?"

"Yes. I helped install them personally."

"Then there's just the matter of luring them there," Hisagi said. He crossed his arms as he thought over possible strategies.

Yachiru suggested in her usual chipper voice, "Let's start a riot! That'll make 'em mad!"

Nanao sighed. "Yachiru, I highly doubt-"

"It'll work," Momo said, earning a cheer from Yachiru. "If we do it early enough, when they're half-asleep, and if all the squads start at once, we can catch them off guard. All we have to do is figure out the proper routes to the traps and figure out how to make sure each Guard will get there."

"I hate to put a downer on our plans," Sasakibe said apologetically, "but it may not be that simple. There is that Ryou to contend with, and even if we manage to trap his forces, he may just call for assistance from the Royal Realm."

It brought the conversation to a halt, with the vice-captains glancing at each other, hoping one of them had an answer to the dilemma. The silence hung, growing steadily heavier until a voice from further down the path broke through it and said, "You can leave that to us."

Many of the vice-captains reached for their swords, with the others getting into defensive stances until the bearer of the voice came into view.

"Yoruichi-san," Momo said in surprise as the former captain walked towards them.

She grinned at the vice-captains. "And here I thought I'd be spending the whole night trying to round you all up."

Rangiku spotted something over Yoruichi's shoulder. She stood up on the balls of her feet to get a better look. Hidden in the shadows, almost invisible save for his distinct bone mask was Pesshe, doing his best to keep out of sight. "Isn't that…"

"He's with me," Yoruichi said. "Don't pay him mind or he'll probably have a panic attack. It took enough convincing and reassuring for him to bring me here."

Heeding her words, the shinigami kept their eyes trained on Yoruichi instead. Momo asked, "What did you mean before?"

Another grin was flashed. "We're working on a plan to get Ichigo back. We could use your help."

Momo gasped, half in surprise and half in joy as Rangiku and the other vice-captains started in surprise. "Really?" Momo said.

"How?" Rangiku asked.

Yoruichi waved off their questions. "Save it for when it's over. You're better off not knowing for now anyway. We've got a way in; we just need the path cleared. But from what I overheard from you guys, we already have a plan."

Hisagi rubbed the back of his head. "Something of one. It's not very good."

"Actually," Yoruichi's grin transformed into a smirk, "it's damn near perfect. I think we can help each other out. See, our plan is to invade the Royal Realm," she said before pausing briefly, letting the vice-captains absorb this information. "To do that, we need to sneak our way through the Seireitei. If you guys are gonna riot tomorrow, then that'll give us the distraction we need."

Clever Izuru couldn't contain his smile as he caught on to what she was planning. "Of course. And in turn, help won't come from the Royal Realm if they have their hands full with a home invasion."

"Bingo. If you guys handle Ryou and take care of the Guard here, we'll keep help from coming."

Momo clenched her fists in determination, a triumphant smile lighting her face. This crazy, hare-brained plan of theirs _just__might__work._"Okay. That just leaves Ryou and our captains."

"That's simple," Yoruichi said, "If you don't plan on actually fighting any of the Guard, have your seated officers lure them into the traps. You guys can focus on Ryou then and freeing the captains."

"B – But he's a Royal Guard!" Oomaeda whined, wringing his fat hands. "There's no way we can beat that guy."

Rangiku rolled her eyes. "Geez, Oomaeda. Give us some credit. Even a Guard like him won't handle eleven vice-captains at once."

Iba nearly gawked. "We're gonna gang up on him?"

Hisagi elbowed him sharply in the side. "Rangiku-san is right. There isn't a better way to do this."

Yachiru jumped up and down excitedly. "We're gonna get Ken-chan and the captains back! Yay!"

Momo nodded to her. "You bet. Now all we have to do is figure out the timing and – wait." Her head snapped up in sudden realization. "What about Abarai-kun? And Kuchiki?"

"Me and a few helpers are gonna break those two out," Yoruichi said, taking a seat on the ground near the vice-captains. "Like I said, you need to focus on Ryou and your captains."

Rangiku raised an eyebrow. "A few helpers? Like who?"

* * *

Tatsuki was mimicking the same expression Rangiku was wearing, though for entirely different reasons. "You're actually gonna let us help?" she said to Urahara.

"Well, yes. We can't leave you in Hueco Mundo," he said, glancing at the Arrancar village in the distance. "There's also no way of knowing for sure if it's safe for you to return to your homes either, so to Soul Society you must go. Yoruichi-san is going to free Abarai and Kuchiki, so I'm sure there's something she'll need your help with."

Tatsuki glanced over at her best friend and saw the beginnings of a worried protest. "Don't even say it's dangerous," she said, frowning at her. "What you're doing is way more dangerous. Besides, we get enough of 'I don't want you involved because you'll be in danger' crap from Ichigo. Don't _you_ start, just because he's not here."

That same worry was mirrored in Ishida and Sado. Mizuiro said, "Don't worry, all of you. We'll be with Yoruichi-san, so I'm sure we'll be okay."

"They'll be surrounded by shinigami, whose duty is to protect humanity. They can't be much safer," Urahara said when they still didn't seem convinced.

"Fret about it later," Shinji said, tilting back his cap. "We still gotta make some adjustments to our plans."

Ishida raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean the small little detail about not knowing _where _Kurosaki even is?" he said, sarcasm dripping in his tone.

Kensei shot him a sidelong glare. "Stuff the sarcasm. We know he's probably in the Palace."

"Once we enter through the gate, we'll be taken right into the Palace underground," Urahara said. "So we won't have difficulty getting into the Palace. However, no, we don't know where exactly Kurosaki-san is inside the Palace. And the building is quite large, from what I've been told."

Hiyori's eye twitched. "From what you've been told? Who the hell could have told you _anything_ about the Royal Palace?"

Before Urahara could lie his way out of her question, Orihime came up the sandbank, followed by Nel. "Um, everyone? I might be able to help."

The others turned to her. Shinji cocked his head to the side questioningly. "How so, Orihime-chan?"

"I've been talking to Nel-san…" She glanced over her shoulder at the Arrancar, who nodded in encouragement. "I need to talk to Shirosaki-kun. There are things we need to settle and… well, he might know where Ichigo-kun is inside the Palace."

"Hoo boy." Shinji obviously wasn't fond of the idea; Orihime could see it in his expression. "You sure about this, Orihime-chan? That little fucker hasn't helped us at all since this whole mess started."

Oh, she'd thought of that, but she seemed to have something in mind. Her smile was knowing as she said, "True. But the situation's changed, hasn't it?"

Hiyori's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?"

"I'll explain later, I promise!" Orihime plopped down on the ground and lifted her fingers to her hairpins. Before she departed to the depths of her soul, she turned to Nel and said, "Would you mind telling them what you told me while I'm unconscious?"

"Yes. I meant to talk to everyone about it when I came to the human world. There just hasn't been much of an opportunity until now."

"Thank you." She turned back around and gave everyone else a confident smile. "Please don't worry. I'll be fine."

Cutting off anyone's chance to stop her, Orihime pressed her fingertips against her pins. "I need to talk to all of you. Please help me."

There was a slight pause, like the world held its breath, and then Orihime could begin to feel herself lose consciousness.

* * *

When her eyes opened, she was gazing up at blue sky and white clouds. Beneath her unkempt clothes she could feel the soft grass; it was a nice relief from the sand she'd grown used to the over past several hours.

Six shadows swept over her before the faces of her Shun Shun Rikka filled her line of vision. She smiled up at them and greeted them with, "H-Hey, everyone."

Shun-o held out her hand and helped Orihime get to her feet. Lily stepped behind her and helped Orihime brush off the grass stains she incurred, and Orihime giggled as she tried to turn around to pick out the bits of grass in her hair.

But there was a tangible tension that even Lily's lighthearted attempts couldn't break.

Once the red-headed fairy took a step back, the silence resumed. Withholding a sigh, Orihime said, "I guess you all know why I'm here."

"Do you think now's the time to be doing this?" Shun-o asked, tilting her head to the side as her expression became inquisitive.

Tsubaki elbowed her aside, ignoring her protests as he said, "This is the _best _time to do this. Right, woman?"

Orihime nodded. "I know it might seem odd, but I think everyone else will understand once we get there and I talk to Shirosaki-kun."

"I guess there's no arguing with the boss," Hinagiku said. He stretched out one of his long, skinny arms and pointed to a spot some ways down. "The path that Hollow has been using begins there. We've managed to kick him back out that way in the past, but as to us actually going in it…"

Tsubaki crossed his arms and made a "peh" sound. "It can't be that difficult. If the Hollow can use it so regularly, then it should be easy for us, too."

Knowing there was little time to waste, Orihime strode past her Rikka and towards the spot Hinagiku pointed to. Temporarily ignoring the Rikka as they followed her, she stood rooted in front of the spot, her eyes narrowed slightly. She could faintly make out a faint tear in the air, almost like a Garganta about to open. "Is this it?"

"Yes." Shun-o stood next to her, examining the tear with her.

Orihime's fingers brushed lightly over sealed opening. It felt like an actual rip, as if she was running her fingers over a scratch on a hardwood table. "I… I need to get to Ichigo-kun. Please."

She pushed against it, and to her satisfaction (and the Rikka's surprise), the tear opened, cutting through the air until an opening tall enough for them to fit through emerged. The seven of them stared into the looming darkness beyond.

"Woman," Tsubaki said, his tone serious as he glanced over at her. "This sudden need to talk to that Hollow… does it have anything to do with what that Arrancar woman told you?"

"There's nothing sudden about it," Orihime reminded him, smiling gently. "I decided on Christmas night that I was going to talk to Shirosaki-kun and convince him to not carry out his plan. I didn't know how, but I knew I had to be the one to do it." She put both her hands on either side of the tear, as if she were about to leap in, but she remained still. "It's because of Nel-san that I know how to stop him now."

Her eyes closed as she recalled that conversation, alongside of the memory of the fateful battle with Ulquiorra on the dome. "I think now," she whispered with conviction, "I know what happened on the dome. It's time to resolve this, at least on my end."

She was answered with blank stares. A part of her felt guilty for leaving them out of the loop, but it would be easier for them to hear it from her and Shirosaki. "You'll know soon. Come on. Let's go."

* * *

Years ago, Orihime had read _Alice__ in __Wonderland._She had loved all the strange and fantastic things Alice had seen and done in the story. It was the perfect kind of story for her active imagination, and she had wished _she_ could be like Alice and fall into Wonderland.

In a way, her wish had come true. She now understood how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole.

Going through the pathway had been like falling into a kaleidoscope of emotions and memories. Some of them were hers (so it was like going down memory lane, literally) but the further along they went, the more she noticed scenes that she didn't recognize.

It wasn't until the end that she realized they were Ichigo's memories. It was difficult to see and hear as her mind seemed to be thrown into the spin cycle in her skull, unable to make sense of much of anything.

It was still spinning until a cold hard sheet of rain splashed across her face. She gasped as the shock from the cold rattled her system and made her eyes snap open. Shun-o's wings enclosed her, shielding her from the rain.

"We made it," she heard Baigon say over the unexpected downpour.

She looked down at her feet, and the grass from before was replaced with steel and cement. It looked like a rooftop. She pressed the heel of her foot into the material, frowning in consideration when it didn't budge. It definitely was real.

All seven of them paused when they felt a presence suddenly pop up from behind them. Orihime didn't need to see through Shun-o's wings to know who it was.

She motioned at Shun-o to turn around so she could see behind them. Shun-o adjusted her wings and stepped to the side, making sure to still cover Orihime. All around her, Orihime could see (or mostly just sense) the Rikka crowd closer together, forming a solid wall of defense around Orihime.

"Everyone, it's okay." She stepped out into the rain, despite Shun-o's protests. It was freezing and her hands quickly felt like ice, but her resolve warmed her from within. She hardly paid the weather any mind.

As she looked straight ahead, she finally got her first up-close look at her beloved's Hollow.

_Ichigo-kun __was __right,_Orihime realized as her gaze met Shirosaki's. They looked exactly alike, just in inverse colors. Instead of the familiar brown eyes she was used to, she was instead staring down black and gold. Weeks ago, she might have felt intimidated, but her experiences with Shirosaki had taught her to feel otherwise. That might not have been his intention (actually, she was almost sure it wasn't), but that's what she had learned.

"So you came," he finally said.

She nodded, clasping her hands in front of her. She felt relaxed, almost comfortable, despite the impending conversation and the weather. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you."

He stood a few yards away from her. She closed the distance between them until she was merely feet away. Between his startled look and the cries of objections behind her, she wasn't sure who had been more surprised.

"You sure you ain't here to talk to King?"

Orihime shook her head. "I'll see him soon," she said. Although a large part of her desperately wanted to see him now, she had faith that Urahara's plan would work and she would be reunited with him tomorrow. She refused to believe otherwise. "It's you I need to talk to. We need to discuss a few things."

Shirosaki smirked, amused by her determination. "Well hell. Good luck, Queen. You might be able to sweet talk King, but you're no match for me."

Orihime laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Ah, I don't want this to feel like it's a battle. Besides," She gave him a smile. "I think I already know what happened. I just hoped you would confirm it."

Now it was the Hollow's turn to look nervous. "What?" he said in disbelief. "There's no fucking way you know."

"Nel-san had thought of something. She told me earlier, and then it just clicked for me." Tucking some of her soaked hair behind her ear, Orihime took a deep breath before beginning, "Back on the dome, when you and Ichigo-kun, though he doesn't remember it, decided to go into that Hollow form for the first time, you must have realized there was an obstacle in doing that."

The pieces had begun to fall together. Now it was up to her to pull them all in and fit them into a cohesive whole. "That Hollow form has a Hollow hole. That signifies a lack of a heart. But Ichigo-kun has a heart. I imagine something had to be done about his heart before you could go into his Hollow form. I don't know much about hearts, but you probably can't just make them disappear, right?"

Shirosaki's eyes widened slightly.

It was all the encouragement she needed. "So you had to move it someplace safe. And I was right there."

Even through the heavy rainfall, she heard Lily gasp and the other Rikka make similar sounds of awareness when they came to the same conclusion that Orihime had drawn. She could see it in Shirosaki's eyes as he stared at her in blank shock.

"People are connected by the bonds they share, the bonds connected by their hearts reaching out to each other in friendship. You used that bond as a pathway and pushed his heart into mine."

Tsubaki spluttered something incomprehensible, waving his arms for a bit before he finally managed, "YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL POSSESSED YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT – THAT – THAT RECKLESS?"

Shun-o agreed. "That's extremely dangerous. Didn't you think of what could have happened?"

Shirosaki's earlier shock was replaced quickly with irritation. "Don't you fucking stand there and tell me what I should have done! _You_ weren't the ones who had a split second decision to make! What would you have me do, just let King lay there and die?" He gestured to Orihime. "If I had done that, Queen here and that stupid Quincy prick would have been dead!"

Remembering the same trick she used to calm Ichigo, Orihime reached out and took one of Shirosaki's hands in her. "It's okay! I don't blame you for what you did."

His sharp eyes fell on her, but some of the anger was already fading. It seemed her touch had a similar effect on him, as she hoped.

"Thank you," she said, smiling warmly. "For saving my life, and Ichigo-kun's and Ishida-kun's. And I guess that, no, you didn't know there would be… side effects."

"I figured something might happen," he admitted, his hand still clasped in hers. "But not like this."

Something passed through his eyes, an emotion Orihime couldn't pin down right away. Her smile fading, she tried deciphering his look. It wasn't until he bowed his head, his eyes and reiatsu calm and quiet that she realized what it was.

Defeat.

"At first," he began, "the whole thing just pissed me off. He was always fond of you, but I didn't really get it either until you got taken to Hueco Mundo. On the dome, after that winged batty freak blasted a hole in the King's chest, I got the idea to pull out all my power and combine it with the King's. But like ya said," He glanced away from her, his eyes narrowed. "it wasn't that simple. Then it hit me: just dump the King's heart into yours and pull it back out when we were done. It worked, but fuck if it didn't come at a price."

"That's something I still don't quite get," Orihime said, looking down at their joined hands. "I understand our powers crossing, since our hearts came into contact with each other, but what about him hearing my thoughts a bit, or me being able to stop that Hollow form?"

"Simple." Shirosaki pointed at her. "When I booted his heart into yours, he was inside of you technically, so some of your thoughts must have trickled down and he heard 'em. His heart might have been out of him, but there was still some kind of connection to his soul. That's also why," He suddenly growled as his expression darkened, "you had control over him. I didn't realize I handed you the damn control panel. Your emotions swayed his."

Now the battles on the dome and with the Vasto Lorde suddenly made a lot more sense to Orihime. "Oh. So it was his heart I felt during the last battle. That's how I got him to stop."

She felt rather proud that she figured this out, and she reminded herself she needed to thank Nel later for her insight. But that little triumphant smile that wanted to bloom was quashed by the look Shirosaki had earlier, that defeated expression that broke Orihime's heart a little. So instead she took a step towards him, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. "Why did you decide to tell me all this?"

"You figured it out. What was there to hide?"

She frowned at him. She wasn't buying it.

He suddenly chuckled. "Yeah, that was a pretty shitty lie." His laughter died off, and he was left with a too serious expression, one that Orihime thought didn't suit him. She almost liked it more when he was smirking. "Remember what I said before, about how it pissed me off, _at__ first_?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes."

"I hated you – or wanted to – in the beginning. You unknowingly made my plan backfire and left _this_," He held up his branded hand, "on me. But even at the time I had no fucking idea what I had just started. There was another effect, one you wouldn't have realized." Glaring at the overcast sky, he continued, "Ya see, pushing the King's heart into yours just strengthened the bond you two already had. It would have gotten strong on its own in time, but what I did just accelerated things."

Not saying a word, Orihime continued to listen with wide eyes.

Shirosaki grumbled under his breath, running a pale hand through his equally white hair, spraying water droplets as he did. "Maybe a piece of his heart got lodged in yours, or maybe some of you came here with him. Maybe it's because of the hearts just coming into contact at all… I don't fucking know, but, you started to have a strong influence over the King."

Pieces to the puzzle Orihime hadn't even realized were missing were also beginning to emerge. She recalled a few incidents with Ichigo in the weeks before they began dating that had seemed odd. The overwhelming urges he had to touch her, to keep her close, while welcome, had been very out of character for him. Like Shirosaki had said, it might have happened eventually on its own, but the strengthened bond had exacerbated things and made urges usually suppressed become overwhelming.

Before she could comment on it, Shirosaki pressed on. "It was subtle at first. By the time I realized what was going on, it had already become strong. _Then_," There was venom in his voice now, potent enough to tempt Orihime to take a step back. "as you two got even closer, it strengthened even more, where it began to influence his basic instincts, with me at the center. The harder he fell for you, the more I was affected."

And even more was beginning to make sense now. "Is that when you started coming into my heart?"

To her relief, his wicked smirk returned. "Yeah. 'Course since the King started likin' you so much, I did too. To the point where I started to wonder why he should have you all to himself. You're hot and you take good care of us. I wanted that for me. And I don't like sharing."

He trailed a slim finger down the side of her neck, where he had licked her days ago. Orihime didn't fight it this time, though it still brought back the uncomfortable memory.

"But you'd get mad, I figured, if I did something _too_ damaging to the King. So I decided, 'Hell, if she likes him so much, she can have him. All the time.'"

When Orihime merely responded with a blank look of confusion, he pointed to her chest, where her physical heart was.

Then she put it together. So did her Rikka, apparently.

"You _really _don't think things through, do you? And don't even think about yelling at me!" Shun-o said, hands on her hips. "You don't have the life-or-death-situation as an excuse this time! How could you not have considered the consequences in permanently placing Ichigo's heart in Orihime's?"

Shirosaki merely shrugged. "Seemed fine to me. All I had to do was figure out how to sever the connection with his soul and bam, I'd be home free."

Shun-o slapped her forehead as Tsubaki was restrained by Hinagiku and Baigon from lunging at Shirosaki. "Let me at that idiot! LET ME GO! Someone needs to kick his ass and knock sense into him!"

Deciding it was best to ignore her fairies (for now), Orihime turned back to Shirosaki, smiling nervously. "Ahh, I sort of have to agree though. I don't think it would have worked well."

"Would have been worth a shot." He paused, and amended, "No, it _is_ worth a shot. Just because I told you all this doesn't mean shit."

Her lips quirked to the side. It was hard to tell whether Shirosaki was saying that out of stubbornness or to save face, but they both knew better. "Maybe," she said, playing along with him. "but I'm going to ask you not to."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yer gonna _ask _me not to?"

"Yup." She lifted up his branded hand and gently placed her palm over the brand. "I'm sorry I did that to you. I'm sorry about everything that's happened. I don't want to take advantage of any of it and make you do something against your will. But I need you to help Ichigo-kun."

Snarling in indignation at the suggestion, he ripped his hand away from her and turned his back to her. "Like fuck I'll help him because you _asked._"

Orihime was taken aback, although she mentally chastised herself that, for all his leniency towards her, Ichigo's Hollow was still a Hollow, and a very selfish one at that.

"And why the heck not?" Tsubaki snapped. "It makes sense! She's asking for your help because we'll need it tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?"

Orihime gave Shirosaki a slow nod. "Yes. We're going to break into the Royal Realm tomorrow to save Ichigo-kun."

He spun back to face her as quickly as he had turned away. "_What?_" he snapped, his eyes boring into hers. "Are you stupid, Queen? Do you know who you're going up against? Those stupid asswipes are strong, even by my standards, and they have no problem with torture or fighting dirty!" Granted, that was how _he _was, too, but that was only to his enemies. Orihime was a different story.

For some reason, she found it easier to be more resolved in front of Shirosaki than Ichigo. "I know. But I'm not leaving him there. He was in pain earlier," she said, her voice nearly cracking. "I'm going there to save him, no matter what." She held her head high, almost daring him to challenge her decision. "So please, I'd appreciate your help."

His lips twitched once, then twice. He was scowling severely at her, enough to capture her attention and make her completely unaware of her surroundings so that he was able to lash out and grab her arm without her noticing in time. He pulled her forward and leaned close until his face was just inches from hers. With all the conviction he could muster, he said in a low, dangerous voice, "Don't."

For a moment, Orihime marveled at how much he reminded her of Ichigo. While Ichigo wasn't nearly this intimidating – or forceful – he was just as protective. It was kind of sweet, but she didn't note the observation out loud. He was pissed off enough.

"Let her go!" Tsubaki's voice cut her out of her reverie. "Do it now or we'll-"

"I'm fine," she said to Tsubaki and the rest of the fairies without ever looking over her shoulder. With a shaky inhale, she met Shirosaki's piercing gaze. "I'm not going in alone. But I am going, and I could use your help."

Without warning he let go of her, his anger sizzling out. His earlier resolve still hardened his eyes, but now it was warring with a nameless emotion Orihime could not identify. "If I give in," he said, his voice still low, "if I agree to help you, then I gotta give up my plan," he said. "And that'll be the end of it."

It was his last remaining tendril of control, the last bit of his own free will, uninfluenced by her. Orihime knew that his situation was not of her doing, but she was burdened with guilt, nonetheless. "I'm sorry," she whispered sincerely. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I just want Ichigo-kun – and you – to be safe and at home again. You're right; the Royal Guard are strong. That's why I was hoping you'd help Ichigo-kun. That Hollow form might be the only thing that has any fair chance against them."

When he seemed to falter in giving an answer, Orihime reached for his hand again. This time he let her take it and hold it in between her own. "You used it to save me. Let's save Ichigo-kun with it now."

For a long bated moment, he just stared at her, continuing to battle with whatever internal conflict was waging within him. He didn't pry away his hand from hers, but neither did he give her any encouraging signs. Her Rikka were silent, just like she was, as they waited for his answer.

A second and a flash-step later, Shirosaki was behind her with his arms wrapped around her frame. Orihime made a small "eep!" sound, and she could hear her Rikka shouting (again) in complaint and indignation.

"Ah, shut up," Shirosaki said to him. "I ain't hurting her. I just want this bit of the conversation to be private." He leaned in real close to Orihime's ear. "Right, Queen?"

"S – Sure. Uh, I'm fine everyone. Really! It'll – it'll just be a minute!" She was blushing furiously, knees wobbling like bowling balls as he held her close. It was making her have flashbacks to the night when he visited her in her sleep and it was making her feel a bit… awkward.

He didn't withdraw from his uncomfortably close proximity to her. He chuckled as he commented, "I can feel their glares. Pesky little lot ya got there."

"Th – They're just concerned." Oh, she wished her blush would die down and her earlier confidence would return. How did she let him turn the tables like this?

Smiling slyly, he walked two fingers across her forearm before letting them rest as they cupped her elbow. "I made up my mind. If I can't have that last bit of free will, then I want a few things done my way. I'll do as you ask, but on two conditions."

She nodded, jumping at the chance to think about something else other than the tight (if not comfortable, perhaps _too_ comfortable) hold he had her in. "What are they?"

"One," He held up one of his fingers, "you gotta promise you'll convince King to let me come out once in awhile and let him share you with me." He grinned against her ear. "Think of it this way: if I get to do that, then I've got less incentive for trying to take over the King's body, eh?"

Ichigo was _not_going to like that. Orihime dreaded that conversation, but she had to try. That, and he had a good point... "Okay. I'll do what I can."

"Good." He held up a second finger. "And two, you better _swear_," His voice suddenly dropped to that dangerous tone he had used before. "that there won't be a scratch on you when the King and I meet up with you tomorrow. If there is, not only will I raze that Palace and its resident asswipes, I'll dismember fucking Shinji and everyone else coming with you for allowing it to happen. Understood?"

Orihime made a mental note to hang back during the fighting and make extra sure they didn't run into Royal Guard. She really didn't want to have to reject all of the grievous bodily harm Shirosaki would do to her friends if she didn't. "Uh-huh."

Because he seemed to like to, or perhaps he was aiming to make it his habit with her, Shirosaki ran his tongue up her neck again. She nearly went into a fit of convulsions as her blush (which had almost faded) returned in full force. "Sh – Sh – Shirosaki- k - kun!"

"What? You like it," he said, ignoring her obvious embarrassment. "You're just weirded out 'cause it's me."

"No. It'd be weird if Ichigo-kun did it, too," she insisted. "He's never licked me."

"Yet." Shirosaki grinned when she squeaked. "Queen, I live in his head. Trust me, your little chaste boyfriend is a dirty-minded bastard at heart."

She decided she was going to forget he ever said that. Orihime hid her face in her hands, willing the memory to go away. "I don't want to know about that!"

"Fine." He pulled away a bit, but not before rubbing his nose in her hair. That little gesture Orihime actually found sweet, though with him she knew it was probably far from that. "I guess I'll let you be innocent for a little while longer. Besides, we got work to do."

She rapidly nodded, pulling away from him so she could get her heart rate down to healthy levels. "Thank you," she said to him, looking up at him with a sincere smile. "Oh, I have to ask you: where is Ichigo-kun inside the Palace? Do you know?

He glanced off to the side, trying to remember. "I don't know room numbers or shit like that, but I know they made us march up five flights of stairs before shoving us into a room with a cot and a tiny window. Got a look outside and there was a view of some flower garden down below. That's all I know."

"That's plenty. We'll find him from there." She paused, considering asking something else, but she wasn't sure how he would take it. When he raised a questioning brow, she relented and said, "You'll take care of him until I get to where he is, okay?"

"If you mean take care of him as in keep him alive, then yeah."

It was all she could really ask of him. After all, he was the one who had surrendered; the least she could do was have it on his terms. That, and she was too happy to care at the moment. She knew he would keep his word and that this long, drawn out battle with him was finally over, with her (and Ichigo, although he didn't know this yet) as the victor. Now one last battle lay before her, which would begin with the breaking of dawn tomorrow.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Shirosaki. And she knew she would, and judging by the confident smirk Shirosaki wore, he did, too.

Suddenly, the rain felt a lot warmer.


	30. Chapter 30

****I know, I know this is late. This is later than I wanted. For some reason my muse goes kaputt during breaks. I don't know why, I'll get back to you when I figure that out.

Thanks so much again for all the reviews. I'll get around to replying to them after this goes up. Special thanks to my beta-readers **le etoile **and **Crystal****Dawn **for looking over this chapter for me.

Hang in there guys, we've got only six chapters left after this one. The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight.

* * *

**Chapter 30**

_A two-pronged plan to counter_

The first rays of sunrise were peeking over the horizon when Ikkaku stepped outside his room in the eleventh division. With some rather uncharacteristic stealth, he snuck down the halls of his division, zanpakutou in hand. He had to be quiet, for now. The Royal Guard couldn't be alerted, not yet.

As he made his way to the designated meeting spot, he kept his eyes peeled for the positions of the Guard's mooks, who were stationed at various points throughout the division. They were numerous, but as Yachiru repeated to them last night (or more like very early this morning), they were weak.

Ikkaku avoided detection as he silently slid open the door to the meeting room. He glanced over his shoulder one last time before stepping in.

Yachiru, Yumichika, and the other officers and many of the members of his squad were already assembled when he got inside.

"Everyone here?" Ikkaku said, keeping his voice low.

Yumichika nodded. "Many of the other members are scattered throughout the division. They'll handle any other foot soldiers that may come to try and help."

Yachiru leapt up onto Ikkaku and climbed onto his shoulder. With Kenpachi gone and locked up, Ikkaku was going to have to do as her standing post. "Everyone, remember what we went over! Once you guys strike at dawn, I'll be heading out with the other vice-captains to get Ken-chan back! So listen to Baldy while I'm gone!"

Ikkaku's eye twitched at his nickname, but otherwise he said nothing as Yachiru hopped off to grab her sword.

He lifted his head and looked to his right, where he could see the sun beginning to rise further in the east. "It's sunrise." His face split into a shit-eating grin as he turned back towards his comrades. "Let's go."

* * *

As one unit, Ikkaku and his comrades stepped outside, zanpakutou drawn and at the ready. Everyone knew what they needed to do. Up ahead, there was a small group of foot soldiers, but what Ikkaku was most focused on was the Royal Guard member with them.

"There he is," Ikkaku murmured. He quickly went over the drawn out path to the booby trap in his head, and he had to refrain from grinning at what laid in store for the Guard. As cruel as it might have been, Ikkaku was never much of the sympathetic type, not for bastards like these Royal Guard. They had invaded his home, locked up his captain, stepped all over him and his comrades, and put humans in danger. Then there was them kidnapping Kurosaki…

In short, it was time to make them pay. He looked up and over his shoulder at Yachiru, who was sitting on the roof, waiting for the attack. She gave him a nod and a smile. He nodded back before turning towards his target.

"Let's get this party started." He drew out Hozukimaru and shouted as loud as he could, "EVERYONE, CHARGE!"

* * *

The eleventh squad's attack was also a signal for the other squads. With the eleventh's squad's love of causing a ruckus and going over the top, it would be easy enough for the other squads to sense their reiatsu flaring. That was the signal to let them know the attack was commencing.

Just seconds after the eleventh squad struck, the officers and members of the other divisions gathered and attacked. With all the squads attacking at once, it would have been nearly impossible for the Guard members to have had warning to prevent the attacks or to call for help.

In minutes the attacks were underway and the seated officers were beginning to draw out the Guard members to lead them into the booby traps. With all the commotion, the vice-captains took the opportunity to sneak out and make for the first division. It was there that their captains were being held, and where Ryou was.

They flash stepped across the roofs, avoiding the main concentrations of battles in order to avoid detection. Luckily, the Guard members being assaulted were far too busy to notice that all the remaining vice-captains were gathering in one spot.

They had decided to assemble in an alleyway near Yamamoto's quarters. That way, even if anyone spotted them, they weren't too far from one of the traps.

Momo had been the first to arrive, followed shortly by Yachiru and Rangiku. Within minutes the others had followed. Ten minutes into the assault, they were all gathered.

"Okay." Momo clapped her hands together to get their attention. "We're going to wait here until we get the signal from Urahara-san. We don't want to attack Ryou until the humans and Vizards are in the Royal Realm. We don't want to give him the chance to contact help and have it come."

Nodding, Rangiku leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "I hope he doesn't take too long. Even Ryou's going to start wondering what's going on as the attacks continue. He's not going to ignore them for long, especially once they keep up."

Momo looked over her shoulder, her eyes unfocused. "It's up to them. Yoruichi-san said they would be getting here before dawn, but they have a long trip. They should be somewhere in the sewers by now."

* * *

Momo was right. By the time the eleventh squad had kicked off the attacks, everyone heading for the Royal Realm were well on their way in the sewers. It was a considerably large group, but their subterranean cover would mask their reiatsu well enough.

"I can't believe we have to take the fucking sewers," Grimmjow muttered darkly as they ran.

Nel looked over at him and shook her head. "It's the best way to get to the gate without being detected. You didn't have to come, you know."

Earlier that morning, while they had been formulating a plan in Hueco Mundo, Nel had cheerfully volunteered to come along. Pesshe and Dondochakka had insisted on coming along if Nel was going.

Naturally Grimmjow had refused at first until Nel reminded him that he would be stuck alone with the others in the village. _"Perhaps you should stay. This would be a great chance for you to bond with them and keep an eye on things for awhile."_

So of course he balked and said he'd come along.

"You roped me into it, bitch."

"I didn't rope you or anything. I offered a suggestion, which you turned down quickly."

"Because you know damn well that I don't like being stuck with those weirdoes at the village!"

Up ahead, Shinji sighed in frustration and snapped, "Would you two stop bickering? Yer giving me a friggin' headache."

Urahara smirked. "I'm a bit surprised, Grimmjow-san. I thought you'd be curious about this place. It's where Aizen was trying to get to."

"Not really," he retaliated drolly.

"It is strange, though," Nel added thoughtfully. "We are going to the place Aizen was ultimately striving to reach, but under completely different circumstances."

"It just goes to show," Urahara said, "that life never takes you where you expect it to."

Suddenly Yoruichi, who had been leading the group, stopped in her tracks. They had come to a fork in the path. With a gesture towards Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo, she said, "This is where we split. The path to the right here leads to the white tower. The rest of you need to keep going straight."

Tatsuki began to walk towards Yoruichi. Before she even took two steps, a hand reached out and grabbed her hand. Although the movement brought her to a sudden halt, Tatsuki didn't seem surprised as she looked towards the owner of the hand. "Orihime…"

Her best friend had been silent during the whole trip. She figured it had something to do with her conversation with Ichigo's Hollow. If they weren't in this current situation, she would have asked and pressed for an answer. Instead, she had given her space and time to think.

"Be careful," Orihime whispered.

Tatsuki smirked. "Hey now, I'm not the one who's going on the dangerous rescue mission. Well, okay, I am, but it's not nearly as risky as yours. Besides, we've got her," she said, jerking her thumb at Yoruichi. "We'll be fine. _You're _the one who needs to be careful."

"I will." Orihime looked so serious; it hurt Tatsuki a bit to see her so solemn.

With a sigh, she rotated her hand so she could give Orihime's hand a squeeze. "Don't worry. Abarai and Kuchiki are as good as free. You just get Ichigo out of that place, okay?"

This brought a small smile to Orihime's face. "You bet."

"Let's go," Yoruichi insisted. "We don't have much time."

The best friends parted with a nod, with one heading for the Royal Gate while the other headed for the white tower.

* * *

Yoruichi had gone ahead with shunpo. As much as it annoyed Tatsuki to get left behind so Yoruichi could "clear out the area" up ahead (as she had put it), she knew she was in no position to complain. These weren't just some punks she could clear out with some well-aimed punches and kicks. These people had swords and reflexes above hers. It sucked, and she wasn't used to feeling helpless. But what choice did she have?

Mizuiro and Keigo trailed behind her. The former was watching the rear while Keigo was just trying to keep up with Tatsuki.

The sewers were poorly lit, so when the ladder came into view, Tatsuki had to stumble to a stop and Keigo nearly ran into her. "Ah!" he yelled as he barely avoided colliding into her.

"Here it is," she said, not bothering to apologize as she hopped up and began climbing.

"Wait, Arisawa!" Keigo protested. "Shouldn't we-"

"You can stay down here if you want. _I'm _going." She was already halfway up the ladder and showing no signs of stopping.

The two boys exchanged exasperated glances before they began to climb up, with Mizuiro following Keigo. With Tatsuki as climbing as fast as she was, they were forced to scramble to catch up to her, which resulted in a few near-accidents.

Once she reached the top, Tatsuki slowly pushed up the manhole. With uncharacteristic caution she peered through the crack, her eyes scanning the area around the cover. Once she ascertained they were safe, with nothing but buildings in sight, she shoved the cover aside and climbed out of the hole. She gestured for Keigo and Mizuiro to come up before she stepped away to get a better look at their surroundings.

As the boys emerged from the sewers, Tatsuki spotted someone on a roof in the east. Her gaze immediately riveted on the figure and she went into a defensive stance. The boys froze in place, afraid they had been spotted and seriously considering jumping back down into the sewers.

"Hey!" The figure waved its arm. "It's just me! The coast is clear."

Tatsuki sighed in relief when she realized it was Yoruichi. "You sure?"

Yoruichi scoffed as she hopped off the roof. "I took care of the guards. Follow me: we're heading for the tower."

Tatsuki took off after her, leaving the boys to (once again) scramble after her. Keigo whined, something about needing to get in better shape and Arisawa being inconsiderate, but she paid no attention to him. She was focused solely on keeping up with Yoruichi as they went after her, winding through narrow alleys and ducking behind buildings.

The chase came to an abrupt halt when Yoruichi skid to a stop at the end of an alleyway. She quickly gestured to the kids with a flick of her hand for them to come over to where she was.

Keigo began to whine, but Tatsuki kicked him in the shin to shut him up. Mizuiro clamped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't yell as he pulled him towards Yoruichi.

"What's up?" Tatsuki whispered as she tried to peer around Yoruichi.

The former shinigami nodded to the white tower that was just up ahead. "See that? That's where Abarai and Kuchiki are. I'm going to scout the area and take care of any guards I see. You guys have two jobs: find their zanpakutou and then wait for me by the entrance to their cell." She pointed upwards, towards the bridge that lead to their cell. "You need to cross that in order to get to them. Find their weapons first. They should be in storage around here somewhere. And whatever you do, don't be spotted. Got it?"

They nodded. Tatsuki's expression became intently serious as she looked around, trying to figure out the best way to go. Mizuiro seemed to be looking as well, while Keigo looked ready to panic.

"You ready?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yeah." Tatsuki glanced over at her. "Good luck."

"I'll be fine. It's you three that need the luck. But I'm sure you'll be fine." Yoruichi gave them a wink and grin before she flash-stepped away.

Tatsuki took a deep breath before she pointed in the direction she had settled on. "We'll start down that way. If we run into anyone, leave them to me. I've got the best chance out of the three of us," she added before the boys could argue. "But I'm not gonna be looking for trouble, okay?"

"Let's just hope it doesn't find us," Mizuiro said.

"We're gonna die," Keigo moaned.

"Oh shut up," Tatsuki muttered. "They're not gonna get us. Now grow a pair and let's go. We need to find their swords."

* * *

There was a storage room off to the east side of the white tower. Standing at (half) attention were two Royal Guard mooks who had been assigned to guard the room.

"What's in this stupid room?" the mook on the left said to his companion.

The guard on the right sighed and rolled her eyes. "They're the prisoners' zanpakutou. We need to make sure none of the shinigami get any bright ideas and come to get them."

"Why do we always get the boring jobs?" the guard on the left muttered. "Why did we even get sent here? I didn't want to come here. This place is boring - sterile, even. They don't even have any good food here. These shinigami live like peasants or something. Back at the palace, we always-"

"Oh would you _shut up_," his companion snapped. "I don't get why I'm always stuck with you whiny ones. You get to live in a bit of luxury and suddenly everything looks like something out of a pauper's house. You probably grew up in the noble district of the city, didn't you?" She glanced over at him contemptuously. "That's it, isn't it? You're a stuffy noble kid."

"And you think you're so much better because you came from the east end of the city, right?" He sneered at her in return. "Oh boo-hoo, I'm sure you had it so bad. Why don't you-"

He never got to finish his jeering lecture as suddenly from up above, Tatsuki landed on him, bringing her leg down on top of his back. The female mook drew out her sword, but before she could attack she was tackled by Keigo and Mizuiro.

"Her sword! Get her sword!" Keigo screeched, trying to hold her down while avoiding her sword.

Tatsuki instead opted to kick it away from her, sending it clattering down the path. She then bent down and placed a well-aimed chop at the back of her head, knocking the mook out.

"Phew." Mizuiro got to his feet and glanced at the storage room. "So much for not confronting any of the guards around here."

"Didn't have much of a choice," Tatsuki pointed out before she kicked open the storage room door. She glanced inside, looking for the zanpakutou. The room was cluttered with a wide array of things, from pots to crates to some weird equipment she didn't recognize.

"There." She suddenly began climbing over some of the stored items, pushing aside a few of them until she at last saw what she was looking for. Hung on the back wall were two swords, which she recognized as Renji and Rukia's swords. She grabbed them before slowly making her way back over the clutter. It was more difficult with two swords in hand, but she managed to make it outside finally without tripping.

She tossed Rukia's sword to Mizuiro. "Found them. Now we just have to-" She paused and frowned when she saw Keigo trying to pick something off the guard. "What are you doing, Asano?"

With a final heaving pull Keigo managed to rip something off from the guard's belt. He fell back on his rear, but he proudly held up the object he found. "I found this funny shaped thing on the guard. Maybe it's a key or something."

Mizuiro peered at it closely as he tucked Rukia's sword under his arm. "It might be. Not bad, especially for you, Asano-san."

"As usual, I am treated formally." Keigo dramatically wept as he held the item in his hands. "Why does Mizuiro hate me soooooo?"

As par for the course for this rescue, Tatsuki was content to ignore them as she looked for a way to get up to the bridge. "We might have to do a bit of climbing," she said. The boys looked over at her silently as she continued to scope out the area. The bridge was just off to their right, but she could see no way up to it. "I don't see stairs..."

Suddenly from down the path they heard shouting. Tatsuki immediately held Renji's sword in front of her. She was no swordswoman but she had no problem using his weapon to defend herself if necessary.

"We need to get out of here," Mizuiro said, stepping back. "Let's get to the other side. There might be stairs there."

A few mooks appeared down the path ahead. One of them spotted the humans, shouting at them to not run. "Intruders!"

"Shit, where's Yoruichi-san?" Keigo said, backpedaling until his back was pressed against the wall of the storage room.

"Run!" Tatsuki yelled before grabbing his wrist and taking off. Mizuiro was right behind her as they headed towards the only path that seemed to lead towards the tower.

They sprinted as fast as they could, but Tatsuki could already hear the mooks who spotted them begin to catch up to them. She led them towards the right when a fork in the path appeared, glancing behind her to make sure the boys were still with her before she focused her attention ahead of her.

"Arisawa!" Mizuiro shouted as he ran alongside of her. "I see stairs up there!"

She looked up to where he was pointing. He had been right; the stairs leading to the bridge were on the other side. "Then that's where we-"

A blast came from behind, narrowly missing Tatsuki and Keigo's heads as it crashed into a building off to their left. Keigo screamed as Tatsuki whipped her head around. The mooks were just yards away now, and they looked ready to fight, although she imagined they would only see it as a quick slaughter.

No choice, she thought as she spun around, drawing out Renji's sword.

"Arisawa, are you nuts?" Keigo yelled as she stood her ground. He had come to a stop a few feet ahead when he realized she had turned, with Mizuiro just ahead of him as well. "We can't-"

"I'm sick of these people bullying us!" she snapped as the mooks slowed down, eyeing her closely as they held out their weapons. "If they want a fight then they're gonna get one!"

"But Arisawa, Yoruichi-san said-"

"I don't care!" Although she was boasting, on the inside Tatsuki was terrified. She didn't know how to properly use a sword. But they would have caught up to them eventually; a fight seemed inevitable. At the very least she wasn't going to go down like a coward.

However, before they could strike, a few shinigami appeared out of nowhere (at least to Tatsuki; she figured they must have used shunpo) and engaged the Guard mooks. The three humans watched in silent shock as the shinigami drove the mooks back. One of them was stronger than the rest; he managed to cut down three of them before the other two ran off.

"Sir, should we chase them?" one of the shinigami asked him.

"No. They'll be dealt with later." He then turned towards the humans, visibly surprised to see them. "Are you three all right? What are you even doing here?"

Tatsuki straightened up as she sheathed Renji's sword. "We came here to free Abarai and Kuchiki. We're friends with them. We came here with some others who are heading to the Royal Realm. We were heading for that tower when those guys spotted us."

The shinigami in charge nodded, his surprise turning into concern. "You went to free them alone?"

"No. A woman named Yoruichi had gone ahead while we got these weapons. I guess she missed them or something."

The shinigami frowned. "I have to give it to you, I'm impressed you made it even this far. But Abarai-fukutaichou and Kuchiki-san's cell is locked. There's a certain key that can unlock it, but unless-"

Keigo held up the object he had found. "You mean this?"

The shinigami's brow winged up in surprise. "Yes, that."

Tatsuki smirked. "Not bad, huh? I appreciate your help, but we gotta get those two out, and I'm sure you got other stuff you need to be doing. We'll be okay."

"She has a point, sir," one of the other shinigami with him said. "We need to rendezvous with the other groups from our squad. Obviously there are more Royal Guard foot soldiers running around, too."

After a moment of deliberation, the lead shinigami nodded. "Very well." He turned towards the humans. "Take those stairs up there and that'll lead you to the bridge. There shouldn't be anyone up there now: we drew most of the attention when the attacks began. Give Abarai-fukutaichou and Kuchiki-san our regards. And please be careful. You may not be so lucky next time."

They were gone in a flash, before the humans even had a chance to thank them properly.

"Geez, they're dedicated," Keigo murmured.

"Well, it's their duty," Tatsuki said, shouldering Zabimaru. "Still, he's got a point. We better hurry before we run into more trouble. Let's go."

* * *

Tatsuki couldn't fathom why the shinigami had to make their buildings so damn tall. Even as fit as she was, she was a bit winded by the time she finally made her way onto the bridge.

Keigo and Mizuiro were faring worse. Mizuiro nearly collapsed against the side of the bridge while Keigo had literally crawled his way up the last few steps. Tatsuki decided they needed a minute to catch their breaths before they freed their friends. They could wait another minute or two, right?

"We... made it," Mizuiro said, wiping his brow. "At least the trip down will be easier."

"Are you kidding? I'm jumping off. I never want to see stairs again," Keigo said, sprawled out on the ground. "I don't care if I go splat."

Tatsuki straightened up, rubbing her now sore back as she glanced down the bridge. "Complain later. We gotta free them first."

So with some mumbled whining and aching limbs they made their way to the entrance. Smack dab in the middle was a strangely shaped slot which matched the shape of the key Keigo found. He pushed it in and turned it. The door began to rumble before it slowly began to rise.

Renji and Rukia were understandably confused to see the door opening, and their surprise doubled when they were met with Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro standing in the threshold.

"Oi," Renji said, blinking a few times to make sure he was seeing this right. "Arisawa? Asano? Kojima?"

"Why are you here?" Rukia said, running over towards them.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "For you guys, what else? Here." She tossed Zabimaru to Renji. Mizuiro followed her lead and handed Shirayuki to Rukia. "You gotta get going. The others are gonna be waiting for you."

"Waiting where?" Renji asked as they stepped out of their cell.

"By the Royal Gate. They're going to break into the Royal Realm to get Ichigo back."

"See, I told you!" Renji said to Rukia as their faces lit up in hope. "I knew they were gonna be doing something to get him back!"

"Where is the gate?" Rukia asked Tatsuki.

She stared back at Rukia with a blank expression, turning around to see if Mizuiro or Keigo had any idea. "Didn't they say something about chambers? 46 or something?"

"The Central 46 chambers," Yoruichi said, suddenly appearing behind the humans.

Keigo nearly leapt up in the air and screamed as the others spun around.

"Geez," Tatsuki muttered. "Stop sneaking up on us."

"Old habits die hard. I guess this place just brings it out of me," Yoruichi said, grinning in amusement. She lifted up her head and nodded to the shinigami. "I'll lead the way."

"What about us?" Tatsuki demanded.

"You guys did a good job. Now you need to hide somewhere until this all blows over." Yoruichi gave them a sympathetic smile. "I know you want to help, but you already did. The shinigami here will protect you. Just tell them what's going on and they'll protect you."

"Head to the 13th division and tell them I sent you," Rukia said as she tucked Shirayuki into her sash.

"Thanks guys!" Renji said to them with a wave. "We owe you one! Just stay out of trouble until we get back, okay?"

Before Tatsuki could protest, Yoruichi and the shinigami used shunpo and disappeared, leaving the humans alone on the bridge.

Tatsuki's fist clenched at her side. "Damn it, I'm not gonna hang back while everyone's in trouble."

"Arisawa," Mizuiro said, his voice uneasy. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm sick of running away and hiding. I'm sick of my friends putting themselves in danger while I sit back and do nothing. Ichigo's my friend, too."

"He's ours as well, but that doesn't mean we have to throw ourselves recklessly into this mess," Mizuiro said.

"If you want to hide then I won't hold it against you," she said. "But I'm going. Catch you guys later."

She took off for the stairs, leaving Mizuiro flabbergasted and Keigo groaning. The boys looked at each other, sighed heavily, and nodded in resignation before taking off after her.

* * *

Whereas the rest of Soul Society was in chaos and uproar, the Chambers of the Central 46 were hauntingly quiet. Orihime and the others had just arrived and were following Urahara to the anonymous tower that housed the Royal Gate.

"This is creepy," Love commented as they continued walking.

"It is awful quiet," Orihime agreed as her eyes drifted up towards the vast ceiling. "But that's a good thing, right? That means no one's here to stop us. We can get into the Royal Realm faster."

Shinji glanced at her over his shoulder, his frown contemplative. "Don't worry. We're getting in there no matter what."

"While the battles ahead will be difficult," Ishida said from Orihime's side, "with the sheer number of us going in, I imagine we'll free Kurosaki soon enough."

"We're not leaving without him," Sado assured her from her other side.

"He's probably going to be a bit mad," Orihime said with a quiet laugh. "With everyone risking their lives to come after him. He hates that."

"He's a frigging hypocrite," Shinji muttered as they approached the tower. "All right. Is this the one?"

"Yes," Urahara said as he took the steps leading up to the door two at a time. He slowly pushed it open, peering his head inside when there was enough room. In seconds he was waving his hand for the others to come up. "It's empty."

"Why aren't there guards?" Pesshe wondered as they all climbed up the steps. "Shouldn't this gate be protected at the very least?"

"They wouldn't see much point," Shinji said, waving the Ouken around in his hand. "They don't realize we've got this, so they wouldn't think we could get in."

Urahara smiled slyly as he walked through the door. "Let's show them how wrong they are."

Once everyone was inside, Urahara strolled up to the Royal Gate that was stationed on the other side of the room. He stared up at it, his fingers drumming against his chin as he inspected it. "As elaborate and ornate as I expected. Shinji, the Ouken."

"Right." But just as Shinji took a step towards him, they heard voices coming from behind. Everyone turned, hands reaching for their weapons.

From the entrance to the Chambers emerged Yoruichi, quickly followed by Rukia and Renji. "We're here!" she shouted cheerfully.

Orihime gasped in excitement as she gently nudged her way through the others to get to the tower entrance. "Rukia-chan! Abarai-kun!"

"Hey, Orihime!" Rukia waved as she ran up towards her. "You okay?"

As Rukia approached her, Orihime pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm fine. I'm just so glad you're okay."

Surprised at first, Rukia softened and returned the gesture. "_I _wasn't injured. The doofus behind me was, though."

Orihime lifted her head, quickly spotting Renji's injury. Wordlessly she called out Soten Kisshun and began to heal his hand. "Was it just your hand, Abarai-kun?"

"Luckily, yeah," he answered as he watched his hand heal up. "I get the feeling this might just be the tip of the iceberg once we go after Ichigo."

"Which is why we're going to be getting into groups," Urahara explained to them once Orihime finished healing. "I think we've all realized by now numbers are our best chance against them."

"What about Soul Society?" Rukia said.

"Being dealt with by the vice-captains and the squads. Our job is to not only free Kurosaki-san but also to make sure we cause enough of a ruckus so the Royal Guard still stationed in the Realm will be too busy to come help the ones in Soul Society."

"I imagine with the present company that won't be too difficult to manage," Nel said, glancing over at Grimmjow briefly.

He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I'm helping save that dumbass."

"Take it like Urahara said: we're also there to cause some trouble. I _know _you can do that."

Orihime smiled to the Arrancar. "I know it might be a pain but… I'm really glad you're helping."

Nel beamed back. "Don't mention it. I never got to fully repay Ichigo back for his help anyway."

"If we're done being mushy," Shinji said, his smirk betraying his real feelings even as he tone strove to remain annoyed, "let's go rescue said dumbass. As much of one he might be, he's still ours and someone's gotta get him back."

"I'll leave this to you," Urahara said, taking a step back.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Hiyori snapped.

"Firstly, I need to signal the vice-captains for the go-ahead to attack. Secondly, there's something I must attend to before joining you. Besides, it's wisest if we don't all go in at once."

"Damn it, Urahara," Shinji muttered, but it was obvious he was resigned to Urahara's decision. "Fine, but if you don't come for us and we get captured, I'm pointing the finger at you."

The others gathered around Shinji as he pulled out the Ouken and inserted it into the keyhole.

"Remember the incantation I taught you!" Urahara reminded him cheerfully as he began to walk back. "I will see you all shortly~"

"Bite me," Shinji muttered before he raised his hand and pressed it over an inscription that appeared on the door. "With my hand to guide me and the key to lead me, I entreat to providence and the spinning wheel. Eighteen kings, nine reigns and the lucidity of all, let the hands turn and the sun over the four skies. By the permission granted with this key, open the gate!"

The door began to glow before the Ouken turned in its slot. With a loud bang the doors slid open, revealing a swirling mass of light that lead into a seeming abyss.

"There's the pathway. Everyone ready?" Shinji shouted over his shoulder.

"Remember our plan!" Ishida said. "We split up once we get inside and cover as much ground as we can. We find Kurosaki and get out of there."

"And whatever you do," Hachi said, "do not take on Royal Guard on your own. You either fight together or run together."

"Let's do this!" Renji shouted as everyone nodded.

Orihime smiled, and just as everyone moved to enter the gate, she whispered, "Hang on, Ichigo-kun. We're coming."

* * *

On the fifth floor of the massive Palace, in a tower that jutted out towards the east, was Ichigo's room. As Shirosaki had described it, all he had in his room was a cot. It was placed beneath the room's sole window, which overlooked a well maintained garden. The flowers were the only cheery thing in Ichigo's stay at the Palace.

It was those very same flowers Ichigo was staring at as the sun slowly began to peek over the horizon. It illuminated the flowers. The flowers in the center were the first to be kissed with the sunlight, as the walls surrounding the garden shadowed those on the outside.

"Hm?" Something in the garden caught Ichigo's eye. He leaned in closer until his forehead was pressed against the steel bars arching over the window.

Amongst the lilies and petunias that were in the center, there was another flower he hadn't seen until now. It was hard to tell from the distance, but it was light blue with several petals.

It reminded him of the hibiscus, the flower of Orihime's hairpins.

"Damn it." He turned away, unable to look at them now. The separation and knowing he would never see her again was bad enough. He didn't need to be reminded of it.

In the deepest reaches of his mind, he felt his Hollow stirring in anticipation. He frowned, wondering what he could possibly be getting excited about. _What the hell are you-_

Suddenly the whole palace seemed to erupt to life. Bells were going off and a voice suddenly came through from seemingly thin air (he would later realize it was probably a kidou spell).

"_Warning, all Guards to their designated positions! We are being invaded! I repeat-"_

As the voice continued to bellow out the warning, Ichigo lifted his head, trying to get a feel for reiatsu or anything that he could use to determine who the invaders were.

There was a flare of reiatsu. It was distant, but Ichigo's eyes widened as he recognized it immediately. It was surrounded by several other reiatsu, although they were beginning to break apart and spread out. He wasn't going at reading reiatsu, but he definitely knew them.

_Orihime… she's here. Hirako, too. Ishida, Sado, and… Nel? _

Then it fully dawned upon him what was going on.

_They came for me._


	31. Chapter 31

****...on the bright side, this isn't the longest I've made you guys wait. Herp. Sorry about that. This semester has been hell and I'm graduating this year (which is just weird; I started this story at the end of my freshman year) so I need to do well and focus.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Mucho love to you all. And especial thanks to my betas le_etoile and CrystalDawn for looking over this so quickly.

I don't believe there are any major warnings this time around, besides some violence and swearing, but what else is new?

* * *

**Chapter 31**

_Kuro and Shiro_

While the Royal Palace was in upheaval, inside Ichigo's soul, things had finally calmed down, at least for now. Sitting contemplatively on top of one of the skyscrapers, Shirosaki had lifted his head when the rain stopped. He smirked and listened to Ichigo's thoughts.

"_They came for me."_

It was as he suspected: Orihime had finally arrived. As dangerous as the Palace was, and as much as he didn't enjoy the thought of her being attacked by Royal Guard, Shirosaki knew that her presence was the only thing that would get Ichigo's ass into gear.

It was likely why the rain had stopped. Shock would soon be replaced with worry and determination. Ichigo may have passively accepted his imprisonment here, but he would not stand by and risk Orihime getting hurt. Especially since her getting hurt would be in trying to rescue him, and that would make it much worse.

However, Ichigo wasn't going to be able to do it alone. That's where Shirosaki would have to come in. Orihime had given her word, and he knew she'd keep it. Now, it was time to see his end of the bargain through. It was just… going to kind of, well… _suck._

"Goddamn woman," he muttered as he stood up. "I had to go and fucking sell my soul to her." Well, _his _part of the soul anyway. As per his nature, the defeat left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, and it had taken a considerable amount of brooding and thinking for him to come to terms with it.

"Right." He stretched his back before glancing towards the sky. "YO, KING. GET YOUR ASS IN HERE. WE GOTTA HAVE A CHIT-CHAT." He was giving Ichigo the opportunity to come to him willingly, but he would have no problem forcing him to this world if need be. He had told Orihime he would keep Ichigo alive; he never said anything about being _nice _about it.

To his surprise, but satisfaction as well, Ichigo appeared on top of an adjacent building just seconds later. "_What_?" he ground out, his expression surly.

"Good to hear you're in the same merry mood as ever," Shirosaki shot back sarcastically.

"If you dragged me here just to rib me, I'm leaving."

Shirosaki shot him a deadpan look. Honestly, it was rather difficult for him to have to be the optimistic one or even remotely reasonable. But the King did have a point: there was no time for them to be exchanging the usual jabs.

"I didn't. Ya sensed her, right? The Queen's here with her army. Bunch of yer beloved little friends came to bail _your _ass out of here." He paused a moment to let that sink into Ichigo's rather thick skull. "So ya still content to just sit in your little cell?"

Ichigo's expression visibly angered, and Shirosaki nearly grinned. Yet it wasn't just because he loved riling him up (although it was a fun pastime), but rather he knew the angrier he got, the more determined he would be.

"Of course not! I just gotta find a way to bust out of this room and-"

"You fucking idiot, you don't have enough power to break through that seal they put on the door. Your sword's not even with ya."

As expected, Ichigo said nothing, merely turning away and gripping his fist.

"Tsk. Come on, King. Like I said, I ain't here to get under your skin. Lucky for you…" He flash-stepped and appeared right next to Ichigo, wearing his usual shit-eating grin. "I've got a plan."

"No, I'm not giving you control and I am _not _going into that Hollow form."

Shirosaki rolled his eyes. "Oh for fuck's sake, that's not it. Well, okay, the Hollow form is, but-"

Ichigo's eyes bulged. "There's no-"

"And how else do you think we can beat 'em?" the Hollow said, raising a brow. "Bankai won't do shit against the Guard. Just drawing on me won't work, either."

There was an argument that was ready to brew; he could see it in Ichigo's eyes. Suddenly, his annoyance was replaced with confusion. "Wait," Ichigo said. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"The Queen really is rubbing off an ya. She's still smarter than you, though." He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't get her. I thought big-breasted chicks were supposed to be dumb. Figures you'd go for the one damn exception to the rule. I still don't know how the hell she figured it all out."

"…Figured what out?"

Shirosaki lifted up one of his hands and held it out towards Ichigo. "You should still be able to sense the reiatsu."

Frowning as his confusion increased, Ichigo warily took his Hollow's hand between his fingertips. He barely had to hold it and feel out the reiatsu to recognize it. "Wait…" His expression dropped. "This is Orihime's…"

"She was here just hours ago." Shirosaki smirked. "Came in here and flat out told me she'd figure most of the stuff out."

Ichigo was still processing the fact that Orihime had been inside his soul at all. "She was here. Why didn't I sense her?"

"Stop moping. Only reason she didn't talk to you is because she said she'd see you when she came here."

"You – You _knew _she was coming?" Ichigo did not sound happy, at all. Actually, he looked ready to lunge for Shirosaki's throat.

_Fucking hell, why does he have to be such a diva? _"Yes I fucking knew, and before you blow your top, I _did _try to talk her out of it but what the fuck was I gonna do? You got us stuck in this hellhole! _Someone _has to get us the fuck out of here. At least she's got a small squadron of people with her." He drilled his finger into Ichigo's chest. "If you wanna make sure she's fine, then you need to shut up and listen. I wanna get her home safe as much as you do."

"And this has something to do with your plan?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"Everything to do with it. The Queen asked me to help you and, damn it, if I have to I will." He still wasn't thrilled about it though.

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. "She… asked you and you're listening?"

"Consider it part of the terms of surrender." Shirosaki rolled his eyes again. "And since yer gonna ask, shut up for a few minutes and I'll tell you what I told the Queen. Because the only way this is gonna work is if you know everything, too."

* * *

The plan determined by Urahara in collaboration with the Vizards and the humans was simple: break up into groups and spread out. Although everyone would look for Ichigo, only one group would focus solely on that. The job of the other groups was to divert the attention of the Royal Guard and generally cause a ruckus.

Property damage was optional but in no way discouraged.

Orihime and Shinji were the ones looking for Ichigo. Originally, they were supposed to be grouped with Urahara and Yoruichi, but since they decided to come later, the pair had to go off alone.

"Do you think we should have gone along with one of the other groups?" Orihime asked Shinji worriedly as they climbed a staircase. Their current goal was to get to the fifth floor, where Ichigo was, according to Shirosaki's description.

"No. We would have had to rethink our plan. Besides, two people are a lot harder to detect than four or more. We'll be all right." Shinji winked at her congenially. "There's no way they would suspect that we know where he is."

She nodded, although she still harbored doubts. If they were cornered, there was no way they would be strong enough to fight their way out. Strength in numbers was all they had, and Orihime would have felt better if they had at least another person with them.

"Shit." Shinji's curse brought her out of her thoughts. They had reached the top of the stairwell, but Shinji looked displeased. "We only climbed four stories. We gotta find another stairwell that goes up."

"This place is a little confusing," Orihime commented as they exited the stairwell, peering around to make sure no one else was there.

"This place is very old. They didn't have efficiency in mind when they built it."

"Really? How old is it?"

Shinji shrugged. "Hard to pin down an exact number," he said as he looked down both ends of the hall, deciding which way to go. "At least a million years."

Orihime squeaked, immediately slapping her hand over her mouth to stifle it. "S-Sorry." Lowering her voice, she added, "A million years?"

"Soul Society is old, what can I say?" Shinji pointed to a door suddenly. "There. Try that one. I don't sense anyone, so we should be-"

A clamor erupted from the staircase they had just climbed. Orihime and Shinji spun around, only to see several shadows begin to creep over the staircase threshold. They were difficult to make out, but they clearly had swords in hand.

"Run!" Shinji whispered.

Both of them took off, heading for the door Shinji had pointed to just before they were interrupted. Just as they had opened the door, foot soldiers poured into the hallway, shouting and yelling as they spotted Shinji and Orihime.

"Damn it!" Shinji grabbed Orihime's wrist and yanked her inside with him. They had found a staircase, but unfortunately it went down instead of up.

"This isn't-"

"I know, but we don't have a choice! Go!"

They flew down the stairs, repeatedly looking over their shoulders. As expected, they were being chased. The mooks were hot on their heels, shouting and firing off kidou spells. More than a few came close to hitting them.

"They aren't too shabby for your average foot soldier!" Shinji couldn't help but comment on that, even as said mooks were closing in on them.

Orihime had been counting the flights of stairs they were running down. Although she couldn't entirely trust her numbers (seeing as they were being pursued and attacked), she was fairly sure they were below the main floor.

"Shinji-"

As they rounded another flight, an overzealous soldier up above came to a halt and began chanting. Another soldier turned, and shouted, "Yo, what are you-"

"Hadou number 63! Raikouhou!"

His comrades didn't even have time to stop him before the spell fired, the powerful jolts of electricity and energy rocketing down the staircase. The rocks and stones that were the foundation crumbled and cracked, breaking apart and collapsing under the spell's force.

Orihime immediately threw up her shield above her and Shinji, but the force and the crumpling staircase knocked them back and apart.

"Orihime-chan!" Shinji shouted over the cacophony. He reached out his hand, but was forced to retract it as a huge chunk of stairs fell between them.

She wasn't sure what happened next, all she could remember was falling back and hitting something wooden before her head met the floor below, and all was dark.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Renji muttered. The dull roar of the collapsing staircase could be heard all the way from his position, which was currently one of the south towers of the castle.

"Hopefully nothing serious," Rukia said as she walked up next to him. "One of the groups may have engaged in combat."

With an annoyed sigh, Hiyori peered out one of the windows. "We need to get moving again. We stay in one spot too long, we're roast."

"Where's Rose?" Rukia asked.

"He went to make sure the coast was clear. I'm gonna go ahead and see what he's doing." She rolled her eyes as she began to exit the room. "Knowing our damn luck, he probably found the music room or something."

When she had left, Renji turned to Rukia. "You don't think he'd get distracted, would you?"

"I don't know. I can't claim to know them as well as Ichigo does. He always did strike me as absent-minded, though."

"That'll get us all killed here." Renji sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I had hoped Shinji and Inoue would have found him by now."

"They might have run into trouble. It's no mystery why we're here." Rukia gave Renji's arm a reassuring squeeze before nodding towards the door. "We'll just have to keep up the distraction until they do."

"Actually, I had an idea-"

A loud whistle cut off their conversation. "That's Rose's signal. He's in trouble." Rukia was out the door just steps ahead of Renji, sword drawn as they went to help.

As they ran out, they were met with a small squad of foot soldiers waiting for them. Undeterred, they both drew their swords.

"I knew our luck would run out eventually," Renji said as he held up Zabimaru. "Ready, Rukia?"

"Let's go. Second dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

With that, ice shot out from her sword and the battle ensued.

* * *

"Can you feel that, King?" Shirosaki jerked towards the sky. "Yer friends are fightin' for ya. The Queen's fighting for ya. And all you can do is stand there and gawk?"

Shirosaki had just finished explaining to Ichigo what had been said during his conversation with Orihime hours ago. Understandably, Ichigo was a little stunned, and he hadn't uttered a word for the past several minutes. The most he had managed was a gaping mouth and wide eyes.

"You – You – WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"And he's back," Shirosaki said with an eye roll. "Look, King, we don't have time for this."

Ichigo's mouth snapped shut, his eyes smoldering in anger as his shock began to wear off. "We can't keep using that form. There's no telling what damage could have been to her heart from the two times we have."

Shirosaki narrowed his eyes, his fist balled at his side and ready to strike. "Ya listening to yourself, King? She's in more danger right now, running around the Palace than she is because of the form. Besides, don't you think if there was damage, it would have showed?"

"Showed? How could any of this have showed?" Ichigo became increasingly agitated as he began pacing around, his hands in his hair. "This is coming from the same guy who thought it was a great idea to punt my heart into someone else's!"

"It was a great fucking idea at the time! I didn't hear _you _complaining!"

"How the fuck was I supposed to complain? I didn't even _know what was going on!"_

At once they both fell quiet, staring at each other with narrowed eyes and grit teeth. Ichigo was the first to give, looking away as he crossed his arms. "You said you had a plan."

"I do. First thing we're gonna do-"

"There's that 'we' again."

"Yes, _we_, you dumbass." Shirosaki had to resist the urge to plant his palm against his face. "I said it before: you can't get us out of this room, but neither can I. Not alone."

"So… you want to work together?"

He smirked wickedly. "Exactly. This'll be a fun little experiment for us, King. Let's see if we can do it."

Ichigo wasn't sharing in his enthusiasm. However, it didn't mean he was opposed to the idea. "We have to. Orihime needs us to, and the others."

"Now yer thinkin' right." Shirosaki walked up to him, his steps even but hardly daunting. "You and me at the helm. Two heads are better than one, or so they always say. We're gonna find out if it's true."

Ichigo inhaled deeply, his expression wary but his eyes set in determination. He'd already made up his mind. "All right. Let's do this." He held out his hand to Shirosaki.

"Let's hope those fuckers don't have loose bladders." In a flash, Shirosaki's hand was out and gripped in Ichigo's. "Otherwise, we're gonna make 'em wet their diapers and wish they never fucked with us."

* * *

The fifth floor tower was eerily quiet, save for the light footsteps of a few Guard members coming to collect Ichigo. One of them (foolishly) had Zangetsu strapped to his back.

"We need to move him and his weapon. We can't have the intruders locating him and freeing him." The leader began to lift his hand and chant an incantation to undo the seal on Ichigo's door.

They hardly saw the attack coming.

The door burst open, with Ichigo flying out of it not even a second later. He immediately reached for his zanpakutou, knocking out its imprisoner with a heel to the face before he swung out his leg and took out the soldier next to him.

With Zangetsu in hand, and the remaining two Guard members drawing their swords, he spun Zangetsu around and cut one down with a horizontal slash. His elbow came up and slammed into the last Guard's ribcage, making him keel over.

As soon as they were all down, he hopped over them and took off, heading for the tower staircase.

"_Got the jump on them better than I thought." _Although Ichigo's mouth was moving, it was clearly Shirosaki's voice emanating from his throat. "_They won't be down long, though."_

_It's nothing. We got Zangetsu; now we need to find Orihime_, Ichigo thought (knowing Shirosaki would hear it) as they hurried down the stairs, _and then round up the others. We gotta hurry, though, before Kurou finds us._

"_Once he knows you're out, he'll be after you like a hell hound high on blood. You better be ready, King. He's gonna get to you, or find the Queen and then get to you."_

Ichigo sighed. _I hate it when you have a good point._

* * *

Back in Soul Society, another jailbreak was about to ensue.

The vice-captains had gotten the signal from Urahara and had moved into the heart of the first division. All but one of them were huddled in a secluded building not far from the meeting hall. Nemu had gone forth to find the location of the captains, and they were waiting for her to return.

"This is crazy," Oomaeda said. "That Ryou guy is gonna kill us and-"

"Then go back to your division," Nanao snapped, cutting him off. "I'll tell Soi Fong-taichou that you were too afraid for your life to come and help."

That reminder had Oomaeda muttering to himself, morose but resigned.

To Nanao's left, Momo sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chin as she stared thoughtfully at the wooden panels below her feet. "We can't lose our nerve now."

"We've come this far," Rangiku added, her arms crossed as her gaze swept over the other vice-captains. "And Nemu went ahead to make sure the coast was clear, too."

Almost like she knew she was being talked about, Nemu quietly appeared, hopping through a window before landing gracefully on her feet. "I've determined the captains' location. Ryou is currently rounding them up into the main meeting hall."

"Like we thought." Momo got to her feet and clapped her hands together. "Right. Everyone, it's time. We need to find our captains' zanpakutou, and then we'll break into the meeting hall. Does everyone remember what they need to do?"

"Are we sure this is gonna work?" Kira rubbed the back of his head. "This is going to require a lot of coordination."

"It's not a matter of choice," Hisagi pointed out. "Either we do or we're dead. I may not be serving under a captain as of right now, but I still don't intend to fail the other captains."

"Well said, Shuuhei!" Rangiku winked at him, and as she turned away, Hisagi's face flushed a vibrant red which he barely hid with his hand.

"We'll be all right. Come on, everyone." Momo smiled in encouragement. "I think I have an idea of where the zanpakutou are."

* * *

Oblivious to the imminent attack, Ryou stood before the assembled captains, his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded them calmly. He was met with several icy stares, and a few expressionless ones from the veteran captains.

"I have to give your subordinates credit," he began, gesturing towards the doors, where outside in the districts beyond, the fighting was still ongoing. "A pretty quick uprising, and it seems they're doing a fair job. But reinforcements will come. As soon as I'm finished with you, I'll be sending a message to the Royal Realm. This all will end rather quickly from there."

He was met with silence.

Visibly annoyed, Ryou cast his gaze at Hitsugaya, who had proven the best candidate to get a reaction out of so far. "No thoughts, Hitsugaya-taichou?"

Today Hitsugaya seemed in better control of his temper. Only a tightened fist at his side betrayed his feelings.

"So be it. If you insist on keeping silent-"

Whatever speech he was about to make was promptly cut off when a large fireball burst through the doors, incinerating them and sending wooden shrapnel flying.

Ryou had just turned around to face the intruders who were pouring in fast when a cloud of ash flew into his face, temporarily blinding him as he struggled to break out of the cloud. Hisagi's Kazeshini whipped out and entangled Ryou's legs, making him trip as Hisagi yanked back on the chain.

"Oomaeda, flatten him!" Rangiku shouted.

The heavyset vice-captain ran and literally did a bellyflop on Ryou's back, making him cry out in pain. Nemu moved in quickly afterwards, pinning Ryou's legs.

Finally, to keep him still, Kira brought out Wabisuke's shikai form and maneuvered the sword so that Ryou's head was wedged in where the blade was indented.

"I wouldn't move," Kira advised, "if I were you. Wabisuke's special shape was made to behead."

Nanao and Iba pulled out their swords and pointed them at Ryou to further deter him from trying to escape.

Momo breathed a sigh of relief as she switched Tobiume back to its regular form. "We did it." Glancing back at the doors, she laughed nervously. "Uh, my apologies about the doors, captains…"

"That's of no consequence," Ukitake said with a smile as the captains moved towards the vice-captains. "Those can be replaced easily."

"It took you long enough," Soi Fong said, although her tone wasn't scolding as she stepped next to the pinned Ryou. "Keep your weight on him, Oomaeda. I'm rather impressed you managed to find some use for it."

"Ah, captain!" Oomaeda reached back and pulled out Suzumebachi from his belt, handing it to Soi Fong. "We got your zanpakutou."

Soi Fong took her sword wordlessly, and as the other captains were handed or tossed their weapons, she glanced down at Ryou and narrowed her eyes. "I dare say this did end rather quickly."

"Reinforcements will come eventually," he said through gritted teeth. "Once they don't hear from me, they'll send more lay soldiers over to investigate. It's only a matter of time."

"Actually," Rangiku began as she stood next to Hitsugaya, "that won't be happening. Your reinforcements are too busy dealing with a home invasion right now to be able to help."

That was certainly a surprise to most of the captains. "A home invasion?" Komamura said, his eyes wide.

"Yes sir," Iba answered. "While our squad members were fighting the Royal Guard, a team from the human world snuck into the Royal Realm. They're going to get Kurosaki Ichigo back."

"How?" Soi Fong demanded. "They need the Ouken."

"They have it," Momo said, gripping her hands nervously. "According to Yoruichi, Shinji Hirako has had it since the last battle with Aizen. It fell from the soutaichou's robes when they saved him and Shinji-san picked it up."

"So that's why he kept coming here before," Hitsugaya said, his brow raised as the realization dawned on him. "Why didn't that fool just explain?"

Kyouraku waved his hand dismissively. "I think it's a moot argument to make now. The point is, he had it and they were able to get inside the Royal Realm. Now thanks to them, reinforcements can't arrive."

"It was a beneficial plan for everyone involved," Isane said from the doorway. Sasakibe stood next to her as well, sheathing his sword just as Yachiru appeared over Isane's shoulder.

"Hi Ken-chan!" the little vice-captain said, waving to her captain. "We beat up the mooks running around!"

Kenpachi just grinned widely as Hitsugaya began heading for the now destroyed doorway. "I think it best if we locked this nuisance up in the white tower. We can free Abarai and Kuchiki while we're at it."

"I don't think they're in there anymore," Hisagi said, glancing apologetically at Byakuya. "Yoruichi-san said they would be handling freeing them. I have a feeling they would have gone to the Royal Realm with the team from the human world. Kurosaki is a good friend of theirs."

"Then that's where I'm heading." Hitsugaya turned towards the other shinigami, his expression determined. "I realize this might seem brash, but I was in the human world with Inoue-san and the humans. I saw what happened. Being forced back against my will, watching them threaten humans with abandon and unable to stop it, and knowing they enslaved our substitute shinigami… I can't stand here and let things unfold. I want answers."

Rangiku nodded. "I'm going with you, taichou."

"Matsumoto-"

"Whatever order you're going to give to make me stay, I'm disobeying. I'll take whatever punishment you want to dish out later, but I'm going. I was there, too. And I'm worried for Orihime and those kids. Even with the Vizards and Urahara with them, I'm worried."

Momo walked up next to Hitsugaya, her own set expression revealing her intent. "As am I. They're our allies. They helped us round up Ichimaru and Tousen. Perhaps it's time we returned the favor."

"I'm coming as well," Kyouraku said, surprising many of his comrades as he stepped towards Hitsugaya. "And anyone else who wants to come as well. This isn't an order or anything. But I think the more the better. Once the Seireitei is secured and this guy," He jabbed a finger at Ryou, "is locked up nice and tight, anyone who wants to go to the Royal Realm needs to meet by the Central 46 chambers. I believe the gate is somewhere in there. If we're lucky, our friends left it open for us."

* * *

It took over an hour for the rest of the Guard and their foot soldiers to be rounded up and dealt with. Most went into the prisons in the various districts, while a few extra testy Guard members got sent to the twelfth division. Ryou was safely secured in the white tower in place of Renji and Rukia. The Seireitei was the shinigami's once again, and there was no small amount of cheering once the PA system announced the successful end of the revolt.

Yet for the captains and vice-captains, their fight was only just beginning. All of them had decided to meet at the Central 46 chambers. Gathered in a loose circle by the entrance, they all stood ready and at attention as Kyouraku, Ukitake, and Unohana deliberated amongst themselves.

"We need to make it clear that we're not necessarily there to fight," Unohana advised. "They are stronger than us, and we are going to get answers as to the recent string of events and to petition for Kurosaki Ichigo's release, not start a fight."

"It's not us I'm worried about," Kyouraku said, scratching his head beneath his large straw hat. "These guys are a little trigger happy, so to speak. We might be fighting whether we want to or not."

"Then we'll be ready." Ukitake glanced over at the waiting captains and vice-captains. "Is that clear? Be ready for anything. There's no telling what we're going to be walking in on once we arrive."

After everyone nodded in understanding, Hitsugaya by chance happened to glance over at Momo, who was staring intently at one of the towers. "Hinamori?"

"I can sense someone in that tower," she said, her foot shifting in the direction of said tower.

"It wasn't just me, then," Kira said, his eyes glued on it as well.

It seemed like an almost simultaneous, unspoken decision made unanimously: at once everyone moved towards the building, hands drifting near zanpakutou handles as they climbed the stairs into the tower.

Byakuya and Kenpachi went in first. Standing off to the sides, they pushed the doors open at the same time as the others got into defensive stances, ready to defend or strike.

Hitsugaya, Hinamori and Rangiku immediately dropped their hands, though, when they saw who it was standing before the Royal Gate.

"Arisawa?" Hitsugaya said, obviously shocked in both tone and expression.

"Asano-kun, Kojima-kun?" Momo added, eyes wide.

All three teenagers turned, equally as surprised to find a bunch of shinigami staring at them. "Uh…" Keigo glanced at them, then back at his friends.

Tatsuki stood rooted in one spot for a long moment, unsure as to what to do. She obviously hadn't been expecting this. But true to her resolute nature, she merely shook her head before turning around and running into the gate.

Momo gasped as Hitsugaya pushed through the others to get to her. "Arisawa! Stop!"

Mizuiro and Keigo both grimaced before turning and taking off after her. "Sorry, Hitsugaya!" Mizuiro shouted before disappearing inside the gate.

"Taichou, we need to-"

"I know, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya snapped as he tore after them. "We need to go after them!"

"Stupid humans," Soi Fong muttered as she and the rest of the shinigami followed Hitsugaya into the Royal Gate.

* * *

**A/N: **As you may or may not have noticed, the pace is beginning to pick up considerably and will probably do so more in the upcoming chapters as everyone makes their way into the Royal Realm and the fighting really begins. Just be prepared for a lot of scene shifts.

Ciao!


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

_Reunions_

For someone who had been willing to take his imprisonment lying down, Ichigo (with Shirosaki along as shotgun) was doing a hell of a job plowing through the palace and taking down foot soldiers as they came.

"Orihime!" he shouted as he glanced around a hallway he stumbled upon. "Orihime?"

"_Honestly, King," _Shirosaki said to him in his head. "_Shouting: not the best idea right now."_

_When did you get to be the cautious one?_

"_Since you decided that screaming at the top of your fucking lungs in Guard infested territory was a great idea."_

Ichigo decided to ignore him for now, although he did wisely stop yelling as he searched through the rooms, looking for any signs of Orihime or his friends. _I felt them split up when they came. I should have run into someone by now._

"_The Guard would have been deterring them from getting near our cell. Get to the other side of the palace and we might start runnin' into them. But we're looking for the Queen, first."_

Ichigo agreed; while he was worried about the others, Orihime was his first concern. If he could find her and make sure she was safe, then he could breathe easier and begin rounding up the others with her.

A part of him wondered if there was something else he could have done to prevent this. Should he have said no to Kurou when he threatened to kill his friends or else? Yet if he had, there would have been a horrible fight, and in the human world with its lack of reishi, there was no telling how well it would have gone.

"_King, stay in the present here!"_

Ichigo's head snapped up, and he was faced with several foot soldiers charging at him. He pulled back Zangetsu and let out a quick Tenshou, weak enough to knock them back but not enough to kill. He sidestepped around them and hurried off, heading for a staircase at the far end of the hall.

He realized just then why Orihime had wanted Shirosaki to help him: because she knew that as long as his Hollow was with him and keeping watch, he would be safer. She was protecting him without needing to be right at his side.

"_Like I keep sayin', she's way too fuckin' smart."_

* * *

Orihime woke up on top of a pile of rubble, wincing as she slowly stood up. Her upper back and shoulders hurt considerably from the fall. As she slid down the pile of rubble, she turned and looked up at it, frowning in worry as she saw the entrance to the stairway had caved in.

"Shinji-kun?" she called out, hoping to hear the Vizard answer. She waited a full minute before sighing in resignation. They had been separated during the blast, and now she was on her own. Which was something she very much was _not _supposed to be.

"I'll be okay," she murmured to herself as she began walking. "There has to be another staircase somewhere."

Where the upper floors of the palace were pristine and covered in expensive materials and stone, down there it was cold and dirty, with natural rocks to uphold the foundation. She found her feet walking down an extremely worn pathway. It was obvious many people had been treading on it over many, many years. As she glanced around, she could see items laying around, shoved down there in storage and forgotten about. There was a tapestry that hung on the stone wall that was literally decaying.

"Shinji-kun was right; this place is really old." Some of the stuff was literally covered in cobwebs and obviously hadn't been touched in the last millennium.

The ceiling above shook slightly, and dust and small pebbles fell down to the floor. Orihime stepped off to the side, watching the ceiling cautiously. "They must be battling right above here. I hope everyone's still all right."

She hoped Ichigo was all right.

"I need to hurry." Once the shaking stopped, she ran down the corridor, checking doors to see if they hid a stairwell that led up. Mostly all she found were rickety old pieces of furniture and unfamiliar equipment. Most of it looked unusable, but it did make her wonder just what their function was.

_What a strange place. _The basement was like a maze, with hallways and rooms jutting out into all different directions. Orihime had no idea which way to go.

Voices drifted from down one of the hallways. Gasping, Orihime quickly ducked behind a machine (it looked like an old furnace) and lowered her reiatsu as much as she could.

Within minutes two foot soldiers ran past her hiding spot. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to be looking for her or anyone in particular. Rather, they seemed intent on a destination.

They weren't in earshot long, but Orihime did overhear a snippet of their conversation:

"What did Captain Nori say?"

"Head to the fifth floor and start searching. The prisoner broke out within the last twenty minutes; he couldn't have gotten too far."

"Unless he was released by the intruders. Then he…"

Although the rest of the conversation was a mystery, it was plenty for Orihime. Once they were gone, she quickly followed them, although she made sure to stay behind and keep her reiatsu level down.

_Ichigo-kun is free. _A part of her was relieved he wasn't imprisoned anymore. However, she also knew it would make finding him that much more difficult.

She peered around the corner where the soldiers had disappeared to, and saw them head through a door. Before it closed, she could hear the distinct sound of footsteps hurrying up a flight of stairs.

_That's the way up. _Following them was risky, but Orihime knew she didn't have the time to look for another way up. It was either follow them or waste time searching for another stairwell. With Ichigo on the loose, the choice was obvious.

She took a deep breath, bracing herself before she ran for the same stairwell and began to climb her way back up.

* * *

Hiyori was in a similar situation as Orihime's. When she, Renji, Rukia, and Rose were attacked, the opposing party had been great enough to separate them and drive them apart. While Hiyori had managed to escape her pursuers, now she was hopelessly lost.

"Damn it," she muttered as she sprinted down a corridor. The further she traveled, the more dimly lit and uninviting the hallways became. Carpets had long given way to stone floors. If Hiyori had been the more imaginative sort, she would have fancied herself heading down into a dungeon.

She skidded around a corner, and found herself staring down two unsuspecting mooks. Growling, she charged at them and drew out her zanpakutou.

Once the two soldiers realized what was happening, one ran to confront Hiyori while the other turned to go get help. Hiyori leapt and quickly cut down her opponent, barely breaking stride as she landed and went after the other one.

"Pisshead, I'm not letting you tattle on me!" Hiyori burst into a full out sprint, barely gaining ground on the soldier as he plowed ahead.

When she couldn't catch up, she cursed and added, "No choice." It had been awhile since she had used it, but kidou was too handy in this situation. "Hadou number 33: Soukatsui!"

The spell shot out from the palm of her hand and crashed into the retreating soldier's back. The force knocked him to the ground, long enough for Hiyori to catch up to him.

He struggled to his feet and spun around, his sword lashing out when Hiyori came close enough. She parried, knocking him back and giving her an opening. She struck quickly, slicing through his midsection. After he collapsed, she inhaled deeply and sheathed her sword.

She was about to step over him and continue on when she noticed something on his belt. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. It was a key, an old-fashioned one that was rusty and worn.

"The hell is this for?" she murmured as she looked around.

A few doors down, she spotted a keyhole, one that looked like it matched the key she held. Curious, she walked up to the door and unlocked it, shoving it aside with her forearm as she cautiously poked her head inside.

Imagine her surprise when she found a large closet full of zanpakutou, all hung neat on the walls. "Back up weapons?" she wondered out loud.

Upon closer inspection, however, that didn't seem to be the case. All the zanpakutou handles were unique. These belonged to specific shinigami – or more likely Royal Guard. _That's weird. Why are they-_

Then, she found one that was eerily familiar. It took Hiyori a moment to register where she had last seen that zanpakutou, but when it dawned on her, she stumbled back in shock.

"Hikifune-taichou." It had been over a century since she had last seen it, but she knew it was hers without a doubt. Now that she was thinking about it, it made sense. Hikifune had left to join the Royal Guard over 110 years ago. She would be here in the Palace.

"Why is it hung up?" Without thinking she took it down and held onto it as she stepped out of the closet.

Further down the same hallway, there was a large cast iron door with bars in the tiny window frame. Eyes narrowing, Hiyori trekked down the hall and gave the door a shove. When it didn't budge, she tried using the same key to open it. She hadn't expected it to work, but she was pleased when it did.

"Looks like these guys take an efficient approach."

The door creaked open, and Hiyori slid into the room, keeping her back pressed to the wall as the light from the hallway spilled into the otherwise dark room. "Hey, is anyone in here?" She paused, and then said, "Hikifune-taichou?"

A beat passed, and then another. Suddenly, she felt small glimmers of reiatsu, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could begin to make out a long row of prison cells that lined the opposite wall.

"Hiyori…?"

Her heart squeezed in her chest. She knew that voice. It was that voice that had helped guide her and encourage her during her early days in the 12th division. It belonged to the woman she had considered a mother, and whose absence had wounded her in more ways than she ever imagined.

"Yeah, it's me." It was a wonder Hiyori's voice didn't shake as she stepped further into the darkness.

It was still tough to make out, but she could faintly see the vibrant red hair and the sturdy arms that rested on the bars. She couldn't see Hikifune's smile, but she could hear it in her voice. "I can't believe it. You're really here. But why…"

"I'm here for Bald – er, Ichigo. The jackasses kidnapped him."

To Hiyori's surprise, she heard Hikifune swear softly. "So they did bring him here. Kurou is a fool."

"Didn't you know that?"

"They were talking about it. The Princess and I had attempted to put a stop to it, but we were…"

Hiyori's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait. So you aren't in on this?"

"Of course not," another voice snapped. A busty woman walked up next to Hikifune. "We're not in here for the hell of it."

"Mara." Hikifune's tone was warning enough. She turned back to Hiyori and shook her head. "No. Everyone in here was imprisoned for trying to stop them. Kurou found out and took us into custody."

"You were nearly killed," a second voice said, much more softly than the first.

Hiyori tensed, her fists gripped hard at her sides. "What?"

"I'm fine," Hikifune insisted. "El's exaggerating. I was wounded is all."

Wounded wasn't much better in Hiyori's book. A part of her was still loyal to Hikifune, and her instincts as a former vice-captain were to hunt down who did this. "Those bastards. If I find this Reiou – I don't care who the hell he is, I'll-"

"The Reiou didn't order this, Hiyori."

"He better-" Hiyori paused when Hikifune's words registered. Her eyes bulged in surprise. "Wait, what do you mean he didn't order this? Those Guard people said they were acting on his orders."

The woman named Mara snorted softly. "Hardly. He's been in deep meditation for years. Kurou cooked up this plot all by himself."

And just when Hiyori thought this whole situation couldn't get any worse, it just did. Her reiatsu flared in anger as she screeched, "_What?_"

"Hiyori!" Hikifune snapped. "Calm down! Listen to me, I need your help in getting us out of here. The cells here are covered in a kidou barrier. The seal is on the wall behind you. If you can break that seal, then the barrier will drop."

It's an odd place for a seal, admittedly, but Hiyori was hardly worried about that as she turned around and searched for it. It was smaller than she expected, and she almost missed it. In one fluid motion she drew out her sword and smashed it against the seal, but to no avail. It bounced off the wall with a loud clang, ringing inside her eyes and nearly making her eyes cross.

Okay, so not the brightest idea, but it was a start.

"She might not be strong enough to break it, Captain." Mara sighed in defeat, her hope seemingly squashed. "We need a Plan B."

Whatever Mara's intentions were, whether she was being sincere or trying to rile up Hiyori, they didn't matter. The tiny Vizard's reiatsu spiked as she leapt back as far from the wall as she could. She pulled on her Hollow mask, and with a yell, tore Kubikiri through the seal, breaking it apart and destroying it.

Of course, she also destroyed half the wall while she was at it, but it was inconsequential. Even as the wall crumbled and made a ruckus, Hiyori couldn't hide her satisfied smirk as she pulled off her mask. "There, you idiot," she said to Mara.

Cheers broke out as some of the Guard members broke open the prison gate and poured out from their cell.

"Yer weapons are down that way, door's still open," Hiyori said, pointing the way with Kubikiri.

As the now free Guard members ran for their weapons, Hikifune hung back, walking up next to Hiyori. The look she gave her old vice-captain was part curiosity and part confusion. Her question didn't surprise Hiyori in the least: "Was that a Hollow mask?"

This wasn't the time for that story. Hiyori nodded before sheathing her sword. "Don't have the time to explain. We gotta get Baldy out of here."

"Right. When this is over, though, it seems we both have a lot of catching up to do."

Hiyori gave the older women a rare smile before handing Hikifune's weapon over to her. "There are a bunch of us running around. Everyone's getting split up."

"Then we'll focus on regrouping before we deal with Kurou." Hikifune took her sword and put it back in her belt sash. "This'll be just like old times." A pause, and then, "Thank you, Hiyori. I'm really glad to see you, and I don't mean that just because you broke me out of prison."

"Sentimental sap," Hiyori muttered. "You never change."

"Neither do you."

* * *

On the other side of the palace, coming straight from the underground entrance was Tatsuki. She knocked open the door from the path, and without caution ran straight into the room. She blinked when she found herself standing in the main hall, open and exposed. "Oh."

"_Arisawa!" _Keigo burst in just seconds later, panting and heaving as he stumbled towards her. "Why don't … you ever… _wait_… just for once?"

Mizuiro came in shortly after Keigo, breathing heavily as well. Any comments he had for Tatsuki were withheld once he got a good look at the main hall. "Wow. We really made it."

But Tatsuki said nothing in reply. Brow furrowed, she was listening intently to something else. She took a step towards the stairs, but made no other movements otherwise for a long moment.

"…Arisawa?"

"Shh," She waved a hand at Keigo, "quiet. Can you hear that?"

Mizuiro looked towards the same direction Tatsuki was, and tried to listen as well. "I hear … something."

"It's fighting. I can kind of… feel it, too. Like the energy you feel during a storm."

Just as she went to take another step, Hitsugaya appeared before her in a flash. She yelped and stumbled back, still not used to having friends that can appear in a blink of an eye.

"Not another step, any of you," he said, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument.

One by one, the other shinigami flooded into the main hall from the same entrance Tatsuki had come from. Most of them – especially the vice-captains – stared at the room in awe. The captains for the most part were much less enthusiastic, instead following Tatsuki's lead and listening closely.

Momo and Rangiku came over to the humans, unconcerned about their situation for the moment and more focused on the fact that three teenagers had just walked into a war zone.

"Why did you guys come here?" Rangiku demanded, arms crossed and in full blown scolding mode. "Have you any idea how dangerous it is right now?"

"We're not dumb!" Tatsuki snapped back. "Of course we do! But my friends are here, and I want to help."

"You already have," Momo said. "You've done more than enough. Your part in this is over. You need to-"

Suddenly there were shouts from up above. A few floors up, some Royal Guard members had spotted them from the passageway that crossed over the main hall.

"That didn't take long," Iba said.

Hitsugaya turned to Tatsuki and the boys and said, "Listen to me. Run and hide! Don't fight, don't try to play hero, just _run. _These people will _kill you _given the chance. This isn't a request, so _go!_"

Not letting Tatsuki drag them off into danger this time, Mizuiro grabbed her hand and they ran for the entrance they had just come through. However, just feet short of it, a Guardsman from up above fired off a kidou. Keigo screamed as the spell narrowly missed them and collided with the door, destroying it and the wall.

"Jerk!" Rangiku snapped before she fired one back at him.

"This way, let's go!" Tatsuki quickly reassumed leadership and ran for another door near the stairwell. They narrowly dodged another spell before they ducked through the doorway.

Momo watched them leave, and as soon as she lifted her eyes, she gasped. "Hitsugaya-kun…"

Surrounding the captains from up above, Nori and several of the men and women under his captaincy were lined up on the floor above, just past the main staircase. A few more were on the passageway above. They easily outnumbered the captains and vice-captains.

"I take it Ryou messed up," Nori said as he began walking down the stairs. "All of you were supposed to be detained."

"You don't take over someone's turf and not expect something to go wrong," Kenpachi said, with Yachiru nodding in accord. "Taking over a place that's booby-trapped ain't a smart idea, either."

"They worked far better than even I anticipated," Mayuri said with glee. He turned to Nemu and sharply said, "I'll want those results once we return."

Nori narrowed his eyes, barely masking his disgust. "What did you do with our soldiers?"

"What did you do with Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hitsugaya countered. "We're here to take him back."

"Quite an effort just to bring back a substitute shinigami," Nori commented, crossing his arms casually as he regarded the small captain. "Or is that really why you've come for him?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, is his value to you beyond just being a substitute shinigami. With the powers he has, he'd be quite the weapon. I wonder-"

There was a flare of reiatsu, but it didn't come from Hitsugaya. Rather, it was Momo who had to restrain herself from doing anything brash. "Stop it!" she snapped at Nori, surprising both him and her fellow shinigami with her outburst. "He's a _child_, not a weapon!"

"And yet you allowed him to become a substitute-"

"He had a choice!" she fired back. "We didn't _kidnap him _and force him to become one, at the very least! You had no right dragging him from his home."

There was a pause, a tense stretch of silence between the two. Nori stared down at Momo, his face hardened as he began to walk down the steps, once again.

"A child, is he? Just a substitute shinigami? I beg to differ, Hinamori-fukutaichou. What we 'kidnapped' was a monster in disguise. A potent one, easily weaponized if given enough time and after considerable effort to break him in, but a monster all the same. There's no need to be defensive," he added when he saw the looks of shock and anger cross over the faces of some of the shinigami. "He is what he is. We merely seek to bring out his potential and see it put to good use. Isn't that what all his 'training' he was undergoing was for? That is all we're doing."

Something in Hinamori suddenly snapped into place, a realization – a truth – she'd been struggling to understand ever since Aizen defected. It had taken the errors of her own misguided judgment and Nori's words to clarify it for her, but now she understood.

Her voice was low, but more firm and sure than it had been in a long time when she spoke to Nori, "Kurosaki Ichigo is not a monster. He was not being trained to become a weapon and to utilize his potential. You were not 'training' him, and you don't know the first thing about him or what he was going through.

"Ichigo-chan is not a monster, but a student, a friend, a fighter, and a boyfriend. He was training in order to get his powers under control, for both his and his girlfriend's sake. You were _torturing_ him, and nothing you can say will justify that."

Nori's eyes widened at her assertion. "You can think-"

"I don't think that, I _know _that. You're no different than Aizen!" She surprised herself with that statement, and those around her, but it didn't keep her from continuing, as vehement as ever, "You hide behind a mask and pretend to be someone who's in the right, someone who thinks their actions are justified because their logic dictates it. You don't take into account the feelings of others, and you don't care about who you hurt in the process! As long as it fulfills your goals and desires, you can rationalize anything you do, thinking that because of this perceived superiority you have that you can get away with it!"

Her fists tightened at her side. "But you're wrong. You're just as wrong as Aizen was. Ichigo-chan may look scary sometimes, and his powers are frightening, but I learned from him and Orihime-chan that that doesn't matter! His mask might be terrifying but underneath he's anything but that! A mask is just a mask; it says nothing about the person under it. Just because someone has a Hollow mask doesn't make them a monster, either. I've met Arrancar who have more compassion than you and your entire Guard combined!"

The silence that followed was punctuated by Momo's inhale as she forced herself to keep calm. "So, no, Ichigo-chan is not a monster. If anyone is, it's _you_."

The only one who wasn't left in shock after Momo's speech was Nori. His anger colored his cheeks and contorted his expression into hate as he drew his sword. "Bold words, vice-captain."

Momo drew out Tobiume, meeting Nori's hard stare with her own. "And I stand by them."

* * *

The good news: Orihime had made it to the upper levels of the Palace. The bad news: she had been spotted just as she reached the third floor.

So now she was in a full out sprint as she tore through the main dining hall. She knew there were at least three chasing her, one definitely being a Royal Guard. She heard him shout at the other two to break off and pursue her from both sides.

_They're gonna surround me. _She had to make it out of the hall quickly before they could catch up with her. Spinning around, she kicked a chair towards the Guard still following from behind, hoping to at least trip him and make him fall behind. She could handle the two foot soldiers on her own; it was just him she was worried about.

Orihime took off again, her only reassurance being the cursing and the sound of chair crashing against other chairs. She nearly skidded as she swerved around tables and chairs, and her heart began to race even faster when she saw the two soldiers in her peripheral.

One of them let off a kidou spell, knocking it into one of the tables. The table flipped over just a few feet in front of her. Orihime yelled as she had to slide to a stop, making her slip and fall before crashing into the table.

"I got her!" one of the soldiers said as he approached Orihime.

"We need her alive! The prisoner's escaped," the Guard said as he got to his feet. "He'll likely come back into custody if we have her."

Just as one soldier bent down to grab her, Orihime threw up her shield and repelled him backwards. Using the opening she created, Orihime scrambled back over the ruined chairs and table, trying to escape. She managed to climb over the table and slide her way down when the Guard suddenly flash-stepped in front of her, sword drawn and pointed at her.

"Move another muscle and this sword goes through that muscle. Alive doesn't necessarily mean unharmed."

She froze in place, her mind desperately struggling to come up with a way to get out of this mess. She quickly eyed the exit, and heard the Guard 'tsk' at her.

"I wouldn't. Now, come with us and maybe you'll get to see your-"

The doors suddenly slammed open. Without knowing how or why, Orihime quickly dove off of the table, just seconds before a Getsuga Tenshou came streaking across the room and slamming into the Guard.

The other two soldiers quickly drew their swords and charged, but for the brief time Orihime was on the floor and covering her head, all she heard were the sounds of a short scuffle before two bodies hit the floor.

When it fell quiet, she quickly got to her feet and turned around.

And there Ichigo was, standing with Zangetsu in his hand.

It was purely instinct that had her scrambling to get to him and throwing her arms around him when she reached him. It had all happened so fast, but when her brain caught up with her actions, her face was buried in his shoulder, and she noticed he had set his sword against a table to return the embrace.

"You're here," she said, almost as if she couldn't believe it. It didn't seem real; she had been so afraid she wouldn't be able to find him, or that one or both of them would get captured. But he was right there, right in front of her. "You're really here."

He held her tighter, and she could feel his head lean against hers. "I'm sorry, Orihime."

She wanted to ask just what he was sorry about – after all, what had happened wasn't really his fault – but something in his voice made her lean back and look at him.

That's when she realized what, or more correctly whom, she had heard: Shirosaki. One of Ichigo's eyes was his normal brown, but the other one was black and yellow. Blinking in confusion, she looked back and forth between each eye, trying to make sense of it.

"We're both here, so to speak," Ichigo said. "Sharing the same body and mind, but two people paying attention and working together to get through this place is better than one."

"I guess you two managed to talk things out, then." Or something like that. The fact that they were working together was a good sign. Orihime smiled as she lifted her hand and placed it on Ichigo's cheek. Likely this was the closest those two would ever come to partnership. Once this crisis passed and things went back to normal, hopefully, then they would likely resume their usual antics. But for now, she would just be glad Ichigo was out and here with her.

"Thank you, Shirosaki-kun. I knew you could do it."

After a moment of struggle, it was Ichigo's voice that came through, albeit slightly annoyed. "He says thanks, and a myriad of other things I'm not going to repeat. I know we have a lot to talk about – all three of us – but we need to get out of here, first. Somehow we have to round everyone up, too."

As he took her hand and grabbed his sword, Orihime nodded, glancing over at where he had come from. "I guess we'll go back the way I came. I was with Shinji-kun, but we got separated when they took out the stairwell. When I-"

"_Queen_." Shirosaki's voice cut her off. Ichigo's eyes were narrowed and he had come to an abrupt halt. Something was wrong.

"What-"

Without warning, Ichigo scooped her up and flash-stepped away. Before he even managed to get them to the other side of the hall, the area where they had been standing and where the unconscious soldiers had been lit up before a deafening explosion ripped it apart. Ichigo had gotten them behind an upturned table, shielding her body with his.

Once the ruckus was over, they both lifted their heads and looked around. Ichigo's eyes fell toward where he had come in from, and his grip on Orihime tightened.

In the entryway was Commander Kurou, standing there with his sword drawn. He glanced over at the two teenagers, and smiled thinly. "Kurosaki-san. I was wondering where you had gone off to."

Orihime gasped sharply as Ichigo stood up, keeping himself firmly between her and Kurou. "_Fuck off_," Shirosaki snapped. "_We're leaving this shithole_."

"Is that your Hollow talking?" Kurou seemed intrigued as he slowly began walking towards them. "Interesting. For something that had been so uncooperative before, it seems to be willing to be a team player now."

"_Team player my ass_." Shirosaki snorted contemptuously. "_Only reason I'm working with King here is so we can get ourselves, Queen and the rest of her merry fucking band out of this place. Your hospitality's lacking, and I don't like the view, either._"

Kurou shook his head, like a parent would at a naughty child. "Come now, what good would that do? You'd be such a good asset to us, and if you would have just done as asked, the hospitality and accommodations would have become much more suitable."

To that, Shirosaki's answer was to burst out into laughter. "_Oh, man. King, Queen, are you two hearing this guy? What a dumbass. He stands there thinking he's got all the cards in his hands, but he doesn't know shit._"

"I beg your pardon?"

Now it was Ichigo's turn to speak. Although he was much less amused than Shirosaki was, there was a hint of condescension in his tone as he said, "If you had known everything about my Hollow form and bringing it out, you would have taken Orihime, too. But you didn't, and that says you got some of your wires crossed."

"_Say, King_," Shirosaki was back at the helm, so to speak, sneering at Kurou. "_While we're here, and the Queen, why don't we give the Commander a demonstration? Since he's been whining for it like a baby since we got here, we might as well give him what he asked for."_

Even as Kurou stopped in his steps and immediately shifted into a defensive position, Ichigo paid him no mind for the moment, instead turning his head to look over his shoulder. "Orihime…"

"It's okay," she said, knowing what he was worried about. "I'll be fine. You two need to do this, I know. I'll be here."

"No matter what, don't let us get too out of hand, okay?" Ichigo said as he lifted his hand to his face. "I'll finish this quickly so we can get home."

When she nodded, he turned back to Kurou and said, "Hollow's got a point. You want it so bad, you can come get it."

"_Time to test this out," _Shirosaki said in Ichigo's head.

_Together this time. _And with that, Ichigo followed Shirosaki's lead. His reiatsu spiked, and as the Hollow mask began to form over his face, he felt his heart leaving, and in place of it the hole opening up in his chest.

* * *

Meanwhile, back downstairs and way on the other side of the palace, the Royal Gate was opening. From it emerged three figures. They stepped forward into the Royal Realm. For two of them, it was their first time there. For the other, though, it was a return twenty years in the making.

"We made it," Urahara said as he watched the door shut behind them.

Yoruichi remained silent, her eyes fixed on their companion.

With a sigh, Isshin ran a hand over his hair. "Can't believe I'm actually back here."

"It's certainly been awhile, yes," Urahara agreed, turning to face him. "Are you ready? Kurou won't be happy to see you."

"He asked for it." Isshin approached a seemingly innocuous brick along the side of the passageway. He unsheathed his zanpakutou and butted the end against the brick. After a few seconds of nothing, the brick shifted back before the whole wall slid open. "Still here, I see."

Urahara raised his brow. "Impressive. I was wondering how you planned to go in without detection."

"You two should go help the others. I'm going for Ichigo and Orihime-chan. I'm sure Kurou's found them by now." Isshin stepped through the opening, but not before looking back at Urahara. "Twenty years. Even for those of us who live for centuries, that's a long time to hold onto a grudge, especially a pointless one."

"Don't underestimate a man scorned," Yoruichi said. "Or one who feels he was betrayed."

Isshin nodded, his shoulders stiff as he thought back to that time. "I should have talked to him back then, settled things. Now my son's gotten dragged into this. Time to end it."

With that, he disappeared down the dark passageway, leaving Urahara and Yoruichi to head up to the main hall, where a battle was about to start.


	33. Chapter 33

So it's a bit difficult to write a story for a mange you haven't read in a number of months. But considering there are three chapters left after this one, it'd be stupid to stop now. And I do want to finish this story. Unfortunately, it'll probably mean longer times between updates. I might get back into Bleach again, but we'll see. At the very least, I don't intend to abandon this story now. Thanks for all the reviews, and enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 33**

_With all the players gathered_

It wasn't often Kurou admitted to himself that he was in over his head. He had always been confident and thought ahead, but his anger over Isshin and Masaki's departure from the Guard twenty years ago had clouded his judgment. Now, he was facing down an opponent that he wasn't sure he could beat.

The intel gathered on this Hollow form did it justice. It was seriously one intimidating figure to look at. The pressure of the reiatsu beating down on him was also nothing to rub his nose at. Actually, he was having an extra hard time keeping his back straight under it.

"So this is the fabled Hollow form." Kurou slowly drew himself into a fighting stance, watching Ichigo's every move. "Let's hope it doesn't disappoint."

Standing behind Ichigo, Orihime winced at the near glee she heard in Kurou's voice. There was a pattern forming with this Hollow form: every time someone was remotely happy to see it, for whatever reason, they always wound up nearly getting killed.

Considering what Kurou had done to Ichigo in the past 24 hours, Orihime knew this battle would get ugly, and fast.

Taking a step towards Kurou, Ichigo held Zangetsu limply at his side. The usual menace and deep-seated rage that was per course for this form was missing: the result of Ichigo having some control this time. To everyone's surprise, Ichigo's other hand reached up and grabbed the edge of his mask and began to pull.

"Truly you aren't reconsidering pulling this form out?" Kurou questioned.

"Ichigo-kun…" Orihime moved until she was staring up at him from his side. "What are you-"

The mask didn't break, but rather it just cracked along the bottom until it broke free. Ichigo moved it up and back until it was resting on top of his head. "That's better," he murmured.

Kurou raised an eyebrow. "That won't diminish your power, moving your mask like that?"

"Probably not."

"That sort of confidence won't afford you much in this fight, although I do admire it."

That earned Kurou an eye roll from Ichigo. Ignoring the commander for now, he looked over at Orihime. "Keep back, okay? This guy's itching for a fight."

Orihime simply nodded, her hands clutching her arms tightly. "Be careful."

Kurou snorted. "If you're done prattling," he said, drawing back his sword, "it's time to start this."

Even after seeing Ichigo fight a few times in this form, it still always floored Orihime just how _fast _he moved. He was literally there one second, staring down at her, and the next, he was streaking towards Kurou, Zangetsu drawn back.

The reiatsu pouring out of both of them had Orihime quickly stepping backwards and throwing her shield up. She braced herself for the clash.

When their swords met, it was like a small bomb going off. The shockwave from the clash of the reiatsu meeting was powerful, enough to send some chairs flying, and almost doing the same to Orihime.

* * *

That simultaneous burst of reiatsu was felt throughout the Palace. Just one floor down from where Ichigo and Kurou were fighting, Shinji and the Vizards came to a halt.

Shinji had regrouped with his fellow Vizards after they found him stuffed under some rubble. Ever since then, they had been searching for Orihime and the others – including Hiyori, who couldn't seem to be found anywhere.

"Hoo boy," Love said as he felt Ichigo's reiatsu. "That form's out."

Shinji's eyes were narrowed in concentration. "Yeah," he said. "Somethin' ain't right, though."

"It's different," Hachi agreed.

Not wanting to dawdle, Riza shouldered her sword and began to move again. "We can't waste time. If that form's out, everyone in the Palace is in danger."

"If that form's out, then Orihime-chan is likely nearby," Shinji pointed out. "She wouldn't let him cause that much havoc."

"But if that form's out," Kensei said with a deep frown, "that likely means they're in danger. It wouldn't have come out unless the kid had no other choice."

"Kurou likely found them," Rose concluded. "So, Riza's right, although for different reasons. We need to get a move on and find them. Hiyori will have to wait. I'm sure she's fine."

Shinji didn't seem so sure. "There's no guarantee of that. Knowin' her, she probably got herself caught or in some damn chase with the Guard. At best, we'll find her-"

For that remark, Shinji suddenly found himself assaulted by one pissed off Hiyori, who came leaping down onto him from somewhere up above. "_The hell-_"

"WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?" Hiyori snapped as she pummeled him with her sandal. "I came all this damn way to find you guys, and I catch you saying I was dumb enough to get captured!"

The others looked on passively as Shinji continued to get beaten and screamed at by Hiyori. Love just shrugged, saying, "At least we found her."

"I swear, she's magnetic to insults," Riza said with a shake of her head.

From where Hiyori had leapt from (a large window with a balcony that was several feet above their heads), Hikifune appeared with some of the Guard members. Sensing their reiatsu, the other Vizard drew out their swords.

"We got company you two!" Kensei snapped at Hiyori and Shinji.

Hiyori looked over and immediately got up off of Shinji when she saw who it was. "Oi, oi! Sheathe those! It's Hikifune-taichou and the Guard members under her! They're on our side!"

Free from the barrages, Shinji lifted his head and blinked. "Eh?"

"We're coming down!" It was Hikifune's only warning before she and the others leapt down from the window. She landed a few yards from them, keeping her arms raised slightly to show she meant no harm. "It's all right."

"Hikifune…" Kensei cautiously put away his weapon. "Been awhile."

"I'll say. Sorry for coming upon you so suddenly, everyone. We've been getting around via the balconies. Balcony hopping. Best way to move through the Palace quickly without detection."

"We've been looking for you guys." Hiyori sighed. "I found Hikifune-taichou and these guys locked up. They were arrested for disobeying Kurou's orders."

"Kurou's orders?" Mashiro tilted her head to the side curiously. "Don'tcha mean the Reiou's?"

"No." Hikifune shook her head. "Kurou's. The Reiou has been locked away in deep meditation for years. Everything that's happened the past two days has been the result of Kurou's doing, not his."

Shinji's expression went carefully blank. "If this isn't the Reiou's fault, then why the hell is Kurou doing this?"

"A personal vendetta. I'll explain on the way. Your friend is fighting Kurou. I know this Hollow form is powerful, but I don't want to take any chances. Let's go."

* * *

Back upstairs, Ichigo narrowly dodged a swipe from Kurou's sword. He countered with a blow to the chest with the heel of his hand, followed by a kick, which sent Kurou stumbling back.

He was doing well, but that came with the haunting realization that Kurou still hadn't even called out his shikai, let alone his bankai.

"_Relax, King," _Shirosaki said in his head. _"It'd only make this fight a hell of a lot more fun."_

_I don't want fun, I want this over quick. _Ichigo leapt at him, Zangetsu clashing with Kurou's zanpakutou. The commander held his ground, steel grinding against steel as each combatant struggled to force an opening from the other.

After a minute of pushing and no side giving way, Kurou placed his palm against his blade and said, "Shock, Hiraishin!"

"_King, get the fuck back!" _Despite having warned Ichigo, Shirosaki resumed control and forced Ichigo's body back, just before Kurou's zanpakutou fired out bolts of electricity.

The lightning trails shot out in all directions in front of Kurou. They tore apart some of the tables and chairs, and one bounced off of Orihime's shield.

Ichigo immediately looked over to see if she was all right. Finding her a little shook up but unhurt, he turned back to Kurou, who carefully kept his zanpakutou blade away from his body.

"Electricity is one of the most lethal elements a zanpakutou can possess. Fire mostly damages the skin, and the same with ice. Both can easily be overcome in their own ways, and pitted against the other, there's rarely a clear winner. But with electricity..." Kurou held up Hiraishin to the light, showing off its multi-pronged, shikai form to Ichigo. "It sends jolts through the whole body, capable of damaging organs and muscles. And it's not to easily stopped."

"_Yeah, yeah, blah de fucking blah," _Shirosaki said out loud. "_Ya just gotta prove yer a special tyke, dontcha?"_

Kurou came back with another short speech about the logic behind his reasoning, but Ichigo hardly listened to it, instead focusing on the way Kurou was holding his weapon. As he watched, he noticed powerful sparks of electricity running over the surface of the prongs.

_There's an active current running through it. He touches it, he'll get shocked, too._

Surprised by Ichigo's observation, his Hollow remarked, _"Well well, if you ain't right... But he's not gonna poke himself with it."_

_Then we make him. Electricity can jump between two surfaces if they're close enough and are conductive. Get it close enough to his skin, and it'll give him a nice shock._

A chuckle radiated throughout Ichigo's head. "_Close quarter combat. Risky though, King. _We _get too close and we'll both be pissing lightning bolts for a week."_

_You're the one who wanted this to be fun. Suck it up._

_"...Fuck, I liked you better when you were dumber."_

Ignoring that little remark, Ichigo suddenly flash-stepped towards Kurou. He skirted around his side, forcing Kurou to swing his weapon around to the side. Sure enough, because of the weapon's size and the direction of the swing, one of the prongs got too close to Kurou. Ichigo got back far enough just in time to see Kurou twitch and jump a little as a shot of electricity ran through his system.

"You were saying?" He was adding fuel to the fire, but it was nice to shut Kurou up a bit.

When the Commander recovered, he aimed a deadly glare at Ichigo. "Aren't you the smart little prick? But I don't need to outsmart you." He swung his weapon again, keeping it far away from his body this time as he did so. "Just over power you!"

* * *

"This way!" Rukia shouted as she opened the door to a stairwell. "The stairs lead downwards!"

"If it actually leads us to the main hall is another question entirely," Ishida remarked as he followed her, flanked by Sado and Renji. "It'd be wiser to regroup with those we got separated from first."

"Then you go ahead and do that!" Renji snapped as he hurried after Rukia down the stairs. "Our captains are down in the main hall and we need to help them. The Guard would have noticed them by now. I can already sense a bunch of them in that area."

Sado remained silent, his brow creased in thought as he followed the shinigami, though not quite as hurriedly as Renji.

Sighing in disdain, Ishida shook his head as he took the stairs two at a time. "I sensed the reiatsu of more than just the captains. Vice-captains were with them as well. Their numbers are adequate."

"It's not about numbers!" Rukia shot back.

"Then-"

"It's having our allies' backs."

The shinigami and Quincy stopped in their tracks when Sado spoke up, having also noticed he'd stopped walking. He looked up towards the ceiling, where he felt the powerful reiatsu of Ichigo clashing with Kurou's up above. "We came here for Ichigo. But... I think he'll be okay now. Inoue's with him."

They waited for him to continue, wondering where he was going with this.

"I... want to help him, but this fight's on him. There are others, whose backs are bare and need help. The shinigami are gonna get overwhelmed by the Guard." He looked at Ishida. "And I consider them allies. That's why I want to help, at least. It's your decision, though."

Renji and Rukia looked expectantly at Ishida, waiting for him to answer. After a moment of internal debate, Ishida snorted derisively and pushed back his glasses. "I see your point, Sado." He knew he had let his own prejudices get in the way. It didn't help much with the bitter taste in his mouth, at having to help the shinigami, but it was one he'd have to bear. "Very well. But once that's taken care of, I intend to move on."

Sado nodded, giving him the faintest of smiles.

"Let's keep moving. We can't be too far from the main hall," Rukia said.

* * *

Grimmjow skidded back into a wall, and quickly used sonido to move out of the way before the kidou blast fired off by his opponent could hit him.

"That the best you got?" he sneered as he charged at him, swiping with his sword.

A few yards down the hall, Neliel looked over her shoulder and sighed, sheathing her weapon as her enemy crumbled onto the floor, defeated. "He's fired up, as usual."

"Nel-san!" Pesshe suddenly came around the corner up ahead, waving his arms. "We might have found a way up to the floor Ichigo's on!"

Pleased, she smiled and nodded to Pesshe before turning back to Grimmjow. "We need to leave! They found a way up."

"Tch." Grimmjow scowled, but with a powerful kick, he sent his combatant crashing through the way, and, judging by the loud thud that followed seconds later, likely down a floor or two. "Just as I was getting warmed up."

"Consider it practice for the fights ahead," Nel said as she started to make her way over to Pesshe, expecting Grimmjow to follow. "We've been fortunate so far that all we've run into are the basic foot soldiers."

Grimmjow clearly didn't agree, judging by his expression.

And Nel didn't need to see it to know what it was. "We are," she insisted as she reached Pesshe and let him lead the way. "There's no point in wasting all our strength now. Besides, once we get up to where Ichigo is, I'm sure we'll run into them. It seems their Commander is up there, and he'll be well guarded."

"You think Ichigo's gonna be okay?" Pesshe asked as he hopped up the stairs.

"He better be," Grimmjow muttered before Nel could answer. "Didn't come here to save his sorry ass only to find said ass dead."

Nel exhaled a laugh, smiling amusedly as she climbed the steps. She wouldn't say Grimmjow was worried about Ichigo. They'd never be friends or anything like that, and she was fine with it. But he was concerned in his own way, and likely that was the best one could ever expect out of him.

"What now, woman?"

"Nothing. Just thinking, but it'll have to wait. It seems we've reached the right floor."

Dondochakka was waiting for them at the top, glancing over his shoulder at times to make sure the coast was clear. Once all of the Arrancar had made it out of the stairwell, he scratched the back of his head and looked around. "It's the right floor, and I can sense them, but their reiatsu is so huge, it's hard to pinpoint where they are, dontcha know?"

Neliel took a few steps down the hall, and waited. She stood still, her hand over her sword hilt as she wordlessly stared off into space.

"Nel-san?" Pesshe seemed as confused as his cohort as to what she was doing.

"Shut up," Grimmjow snapped. "And listen."

Dondochakka gawked. "But, listen for-"

Suddenly, voices and footsteps resounded down the opposite end of the hall. Nel turned around, and drew out her sword. "For that," she answered, walking back her Fraccion.

"Guard dogs always come running from the direction their master's in." Grimmjow grinned in maniacal glee and joined Nel. "And these are the ones with the real sharp teeth."

"It seems you'll get your fight with the Guard," Nel said, her expression passive as they waited for the enemy to come. "But let's not take too long. We came here to help Ichigo. Once we're through," _If we make it through. _But she refused to voice that thought. "we keep moving to get to him. Let's all survive this and go home together."

Pesshe and Dondochakka joined them, braced for the rough fight ahead. "We go home with you, always!"

"...You too, Grimmjow," Nel said, glancing over at him.

"Like hell I'm dying here anyway," Grimmjow said, his voice low. "Or you three. I'm not running that stupid village on my own."

* * *

By the time the Arrancar had clashed with the approaching Guard, Ichigo and Kurou had done a number on the dining hall. Streaks of black were strewn across the walls and ceiling from the lightning strikes, and more than a few windows were blown out.

Hiraishin's bolts were really pushing the limits of Ichigo's speed. He'd taken one or two hits already from it, but luckily no more. Still, it was decidedly tricky to dodge the strikes, and Kurou had long since wisened up to Ichigo's tactic of shocking him with his own weapon.

"This is the limit of your power, boy!" Kurou sent out a huge streak of lightning that made an arc through the air. A cero would stop it, likely, but there was no time for one as Ichigo was again forced to dodge. "I still have my bankai. Surrender now before you get more injured, or something happens to your little woman over there."

Orihime's shield was the only reason she hadn't been shocked yet. However, maintaining it for so long was draining her, and it was beginning to weaken. Still, she refused to show her weakness, and she shook her head when Ichigo glanced over at her. "I'm fine!"

_We need to end this before he pulls out that bankai. If he does... _Ichigo wasn't worried about himself, but Orihime. Hiraishin's attacks were long range and powerful as was. In bankai, he didn't want to imagine what they would do. And he could sense Orihime's power begin to weaken. That scared him more than anything.

_"I got an idea." _Shirosaki eyed up Kurou's sword arm. "_He has to keep that arm outstretched to keep the prods from blitzing his ass repeatedly. Can't get him to shock himself again, but it leaves his arm wide fucking open."_

The logic was simple to follow: damage the sword arm, and Kurou's offense would weaken. Either he'd have to keep battling with a damaged arm, or he'd have to switch arms, and that was always foolhardy during a fight.

_Right. Think you can do it?_

_"Gee, King, I'm honored that you so fucking graciously-"_

_Shut the hell up and just do it. We don't have the time._

Ichigo still didn't like giving control over to Shirosaki, even if they were sharing it now, but he knew his Hollow was a little faster, and he knew where to hit to make it count.

Not arguing for once, Shirosaki resumed the helm and darted across the floor. He ducked under a streak of lightning, unphased as he hopped onto the remaining tables. As he jumped across those, he could hear them being destroyed one by one as lightning bolt after bolt tore them apart. It helped him gauge just how far behind the strikes where, and also to time his own hit.

As he hoped, Kurou began to move as he circled closer, reeling in the opposite direction as he sent out another stream. While him moving made aiming trickier, it also meant Kurou's attention was divided between his fighting stance and keeping his feet moving.

Summoning as much energy as he could, Shirosaki waited for the perfect moment. Just as Kurou raised his arm, leaving it bare and exposed, he shot across the floor, moving as fast and far as he could in one shunpo. Even he barely saw where he was going, but he grinned when he felt Zangetsu tear through flesh, and his smile widened when he heard Kurou's short yell.

When he came to a stop, he found himself squarely in front of Orihime. Both of them had done that a lot during the battle, he noticed: keeping their body in between her and Kurou when they were close enough. The reason one of the bolts had hit them was because Kurou had decided to be a jack-ass and sent it at her.

"Are you okay?" her soft voice broke through his musing.

He waved a hand dismissively. "_Just fine. Can't say the same for-"_

A riotous burst of laughter cut them both off, and Shirosaki snarled as he turned back around, only to find Kurou laughing to himself as he tossed his zanpakutou to his other hand. His sword arm was torn apart, and the Hollow was pleased to see the results. Still...

_Something's not right, _Ichigo thought as he resumed control.

"Cute tactic, boy, but that won't work." Kurou easily handled Hiraishin in his left hand, moving it about and swinging it just as easily as he had done with his right.

"He must be ambidextrous," Orihime murmured.

_"Son of a bitch!" _Shirosaki roared inside Ichigo's mind.

"Still, deprived of one working limb, you've forced me to take the next step." Kurou smiled easily, and held up Hiraishin. "Bankai."

* * *

The main hall was nearly as much of a mess as the dining hall. Nori had launched himself at Momo after her speech, and was immediately blocked by her and Hitsugaya. And that was enough to finally spark the fighting.

It was a tough match for the captains and vice-captains, but they were holding up much better than they expected. Actually, it was much better than Nori was expecting, too.

"Don't show them any mercy!" he shouted to the other Royal Guard. "We are Royal Guard, elite members protecting His Majesty! These run of the mill shinigami should be no match for us!"

He was answered with a kidou spell to the face, courtesy of Momo. It was her way of telling him to shut up. Hitsugaya readied Hyourinmaru, knowing Nori's wrath wasn't far from reaching its breaking point.

All but growling as he shook off the attach, Nori shouted, "I'M SICK OF KOWTOWING TO YOU LOT." He took a menacing step, then another towards Momo. "The separation of our institutions has left you shinigami disrespectful little pissants. If you won't go down the easy way, then you'll go down my way. KILL THEM!"

The two childhood friends weren't entirely sure what happened next. One moment they saw Nori streaking towards them, his sword drawn and rage in his eyes, and the next, he was sent flying in another direction.

From the side, a Royal Guard member stepped in front of them. He watched with almost grim amusement as Nori crashed into the staircase, the sound loud enough to catch everyone's attention and halt the battles.

"It's a wonder Kurou likes you and Ryou so much," Kichirou said as he shouldered his sword. "You're both temperamental assholes. Then again, peas in a pod…"

"_Kichirou,_" Nori seethed as he got to his feet. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing I haven't been doing the past few weeks," he said with a shrug. "Besides 'kowtowing' to Kurou and you. I have to agree with you, it does get old fast."

Hitsugaya, understandably surprised, addressed Kichirou, "Why did you help us just now?"

He smiled, giving the captain a wink over his shoulder. "Ah ha, good question. But the better one would be, why have I been helping you the past few weeks, hm?"

Nori's eyes bulged in their sockets. "_What_?"

"Come on," Kichirou said, his posture relaxed as he turned back to Nori. "Don't you find it a little strange the shinigami reaped all of these unforeseen advantages? Like Kurosaki Ichigo's Hollow Form seemingly unable to come out when Kurou tried? That those from the Human World managed to escape? It never struck you as odd that they got so lucky?"

As confused as he was, Kyouraku kept his composure and said, "We thought ourselves lucky, yes. There was some skill involved, mind you, but I take it you had a hand in this?"

"You son of a-"

"Ah ah, now Nori," Kichirou said, wagging his finger at him, "you really need to watch that temper. Blood pressure and all. But to answer your question, Kyouraku-taichou, yes, I did." He turned to the captain in question and gave him a little salute. "Captain Kichirou of the Royal Guard, at your service. I specifically head the intelligence division of the Guard."

"So that's what happened," Hitsugaya muttered. "You were spying on us and fed the Guard information."

"_False _information, thank you very much," he amended, acting almost offended. "Now, not all of it was, just key bits, you know."

Since Nori was too busy seething and trying not to explode, Ukitake asked, "Why though? Why would you turn on your own comrades?"

"Not to mention directly disobey a superior."

The voice was a different one, but the shinigami knew immediately who it was. From behind the rubble in front of the underground entrance rang Urahara's voice, "Just a moment, everyone! I'd like to clear this."

It was all the warning anyone got to clear the way before Urahara blasted the debris with Benihime. Once the dust cleared, he stepped out from the passage, Yoruichi just behind him.

"My apologies." Urahara grinned cheerfully as he beat the dust off his hat. "But as I was saying, you also disobeyed a superior's orders, didn't you, Kichirou-san?"

"Yes and no. Not the superior I'm worried about, anyway."

"Ah, yes yes. It'd be a different story if it was the Reiou you'd gone directly against, but it wasn't."

There was a tense, dangerous silence that fell over the shinigami as Urahara relayed that bit of information. "What do you mean," Kyouraku said in a low voice, "it wasn't the Reiou he went against?"

For the first time, Kichirou seemed a bit apologetic as he explained, "Our Reiou has been in meditation for years. This whole plan – from the kid's kidnapping to imprisoning Soul Society – was cooked up by Kurou himself. Anything with the Reiou's signature on it was forged."

"So we got our asses locked up and bossed around by these pricks with no real meat to back them up?" Kenpachi growled.

"We've been made for fools," Soi Fong said, her tone dripping with barely restrained anger.

"Who do you think you are to do that to us?" Hitsugaya snapped.

Before he could lunge, Hinamori took hold of his arm. "Wait." She turned to Kichirou. "Why didn't you stop them sooner, then? If you were against them?"

"Sorry about that," he said, frowning. "But I needed to wait for the right time."

"Luckily, that time has come," Urahara said. "I have faith that Kurosaki-san can stop Kurou."

To that, Nori let out a bark of laughter. "Please, he's just a boy. Commander Kurou has centuries of training at his beck and call."

Urahara looked put off, tapping his chin. "Ah, I suppose you have a point."

Nori turned, looking smug, and was about to say something to Kichirou when Urahara piped up, "Of course, that's if I was talking about Kurosaki _Ichigo_."

Kichirou grinned while Nori's smugness melted away into muted horror. "You – you can't mean…"

* * *

"This is my bankai, Kurosaki Ichigo." Kurou held out his sword, still multi-pronged but with a nauseous gas pouring out of it. "Electricity and poison. A deadlier combination than ever conceived. Even if you can outrun the lightning, you can't outlast the poison."

From behind Ichigo, Orihime stared on in horror. "But, why would you…"

"If you won't cooperate with us," Kurou said, looking at both of them, "then I'll have to dispose of you. I can't have you walking away from this."

Ichigo and Shirosaki remained silent, both of them thinking quickly as to how to overcome this.

Suddenly, Kurou flash-stepped, disappearing temporarily before appearing several yards behind Orihime. "You said you needed her for that Hollow form. Well… then I suppose she must go first."

Even with her shield still up, Orihime knew it wouldn't be strong enough to repel the attack. Still, she threw it in front of her, just seconds before Ichigo flew past her and charged at Kurou. "Ichigo-kun, no!"

A blast of electricity came from Hiraishin, aiming in Orihime's direction. Ichigo had no choice but to take the attack. It was powerful enough to send him tumbling across the floor, stopping inches short of Orihime's shield.

Terrified, she ran around her shield and over to him. "Ichigo-kun!"

"Get back behind the shield!" he shouted.

"It ends for both of you here!" Kurou stepped back and shouted, "Twin Arcs of Heaven and Hell!"

Two huge streaks – one electricity, one poison – shot from the prongs of Hiraishin and plowed straight for the couple. Orihime threw up her shield, but braced herself for the worst.

Suddenly, another blast of reiatsu came from the side. A deep voice shouted something – too loud to hear over the cacophony – and when Orihime opened her eyes, she saw a broad figure standing in front of her shield, zanpakutou in hand.

Ichigo immediately got to his feet, though shaken, and stared in complete shock as Isshin looked over his shoulder.

* * *

Urahara smiled broadly. "Ah yes, I do mean that. Kurosaki _Isshin, y_our former commander, is here. Did you really think he'd let you take his only son without retaliation?"

* * *

**A/N: **Papa Kurosaki is in the house~ and really, that's all that needs to be said.


End file.
